A Story of Destiny
by chrissybum
Summary: Kisuke & Yoruichi. A story of how they met,endured hard training to become shinigami, became captains,and how they found love along the way. This is my own take on the "Turn Back the Pendulum" Arc. Chapter 24 up!
1. Chapter 1

A/n: My first attempt at a Kisuke/Yorouichi fic. This fic starts from how they met, entering the shinigami academy, becoming captains, and finding love along the way… (cheesy).

She had enough… Lectures left and right, classes here and there. The sacrifices one must go through when born in a noble clan. And to think she hasn't come out of the manor for a month now. Well, she did leave the manor occasionally, but that was to attend social functions that were too boring for her taste. Her father had been ill for some time now, and as the heir to the Shihouin Clan, she didn't have any choice but to fill in for him, even if she really didn't want to. She decided to flee, even for just a night. She wanted to taste freedom. She wanted to feel what it was like being normal… And so here she was, far from the manor… Alone at night in a place she's not familiar with and the worst thing is, she doesn't know her way back…

She walked… not really knowing where she was going. This place was too scary for her. She may have skills in fighting but in this dark place, or rather this dark depressing village, fear was all over her face. It was her first time on her own, outside the manor. She looked around the village; no one seemed to be on the streets, probably sleeping soundly in the comfort of their small houses. After walking what seemed like forever she realized she was out of the village. She found a tall tree, and not wanting to go on because she was feeling rather tired from all that walking, she decided to stay and wait for morning to come… Eventually someone might find her.

"Ummm… You okay?" asked a young man with unruly blond hair and gray eyes. Judging from his clothes, Yorouichi figured out that this young man was a peasant. But a rather handsome peasant at that.

"I'm okay."

"You sure don't look like you're okay, miss."

"Well what do you think? I'm freezing I don't know where the hell I am and I'm starving!"

"Yeah I can tell you're hungry. Your reiatsu is kinda weakening miss. Oh here…" The young man took of his jacket and draped it in Yorouichi's shoulders.

"Thank you. You have reiatsu?"

"Yeah. Can't you sense it?

"No, so where am I?" Yorouichi was really sensitive when it comes to the topic of sensing reiatsu. She was not very good at it.

"You're in Ryukongai. It's just outside Seiretei. I'm guessing that's where you're from?"

"Yes. I am Shihouin Yorouichi."

"The noble Shihouin clan? Wow… If you're nobility then what are you doing in a place like this?"

"Well I… I don't want to tell you. We just met and I don't really know who you are."

"Oh I'm Urahara. Urahara Kisuke. My hobbies are inventing stuff and selling them, having naps, fishing, and fighting. So now that you know a little more about me, care to tell me your story Yorouichi-san?"

"It's "sama" not "san" to you peasant."

"Oh sorry, I mean Yorouichi-sama." Yorouichi grew up being a pampered princess. She was used to everyone in the manor referring to her as Yorouichi-sama.

"Well okay then why not?" Yorouichi then began telling this Urahara her story. How she wanted to get away from her duties and be free.

" I see… So you got lost."

"Urahara was it? Tell me the way back to Seiretei." Commanded Yorouichi

"Sorry but I don't give out information for free, even for nobility."

"What? Hmph! Then I'll pay you when we get to the manor!"

"We? That means I'll be escorting you back to your place?"

"Of course! What kind of man would let a young and beautiful woman walk during the night on her own?"

"Well… Oh what the heck it's not like I have anything to do. But I'm not doing this for free Yorouichi-san."

"Naturally… You'll get your pay later! But before that… I'm starving!"

"Am I supposed to get you some food?"

"Of course!"

Urahara had no other choice but to give the young woman some food since she was so persistent, so he led her to his house.

"THIS is your house? This is just as big as a pet's cage!"

"Yeah! But a house is a house and that's what means the most."

"You call this "thing" a house?"

"You wanna eat or what?"

"Ughh… Looks like I have no choice." Said Yorouichi as she went inside. The young man's house was rather small. There were no other doors except for the one they used. Only wall hangings were used in the bathroom and there were no walls separating the dining table from the two beds.

"Do you live with someone?" asked Yorouichi who noticed that there were two beds.

"Yep. My bestfriend and I live together." A young man had entered the small house. He was tall and he had black hair and this one looked like a peasant as well.

"Kisuke! Where've you been man? I've been looking all over for you!"

"Sorry man… Got held up on my way home from that order I told you yesterday that I had."

"Oh! Wow! You brought home a woman!"

"Yeah… Well actually she wanted my help, and being the kind man that I am, I offered her my services and I am supposed to bring her back to her manor."

"Manor? Is she a noble?"

"Yes I am. And who are you?"

"My name's Isshin. Kurosaki Isshin. Nice to meet you… uhh?"

"Yorouichi, Shihouin Yorouichi…"

"You mean THE Shihouin clan! Wow! Kisuke, You hit the jackpot!"

"What do you mean?" asked Yorouichi

"Isshin means nothing, of course. Hey Isshin, do we have anything to eat?"

"I think there's some rice left." Isshin went to the dining table and handed Kisuke some riceballs.

"Here you go Yorouichi-sama."

"Eww… This stuff looks really weird? Is it edible? You didn't put any poison on it, did you?"

"Of course not! Why would I poison someone as beautiful as you?" said Isshin

"Urahara, your friend here has good taste. Well… Since I'm really starving I have no choice but to eat this… err… stuff…" said Yorouichi as she took a very hesitant bite.

"So? What do you think?" asked Urahara

"Wow is this really peasant food? This is really good!"

" 'Course it is! My friend Kisuke here is a genius cook!"

"Hey you didn't mention anything about cooking earlier!" said Yorouichi, referring to the time he told her stuff about him.

"Cooking is included in the "inventing stuff" part."

"I see… Hey Urahara! We better get going! I want to go home as soon as possible."

"Yes ma'am! Isshin, you coming?"

"Nah… I'll just stay here and practice some more."

"Okay then I'll see you later buddy! Let's go then Yorouichi."

""It's Yorouichi-sama to you."

"Right, sorry."

For some reason, Yorouichi felt at ease walking with this man along the dark streets of Ryukongai. Somehow, she sensed that this man had strong reiatsu, maybe that's why she feels so at ease. Sure she was strong herself, and she was very good in Shunko and Shunpo, but still, she knew that she lacked real battle experience, and this guy walking next to her, felt like he had a lot of battle experience.

"Is there something on my face? You've been looking at me for quite some time now." Asked Urahara

"Why would I look at you?"

"Hmm I don't know… Maybe because I'm good looking?"

"Ha! You wish!"

"Haha… Hey here we are in Seiretei."

"Uhh… Do you know where the Shihouin mansion is located?" asked Yorouichi

"You don't know where your manor is?"

"It's not like I've been outside the manor before you know!"

"Oh right… Sigh… Okay then, members of the nobility live near the headquarters of the Gotei 13.And the Shihouin clan's manor is located just beside the 2nd squad headquarters."

"You sure do know a lot about Seiretei."

"Yeah… I've read about it before in books. And some I've heard from other people. Actually, I've been here a couple of times. Processing my admission into the academy."

"You're entering the academy?"

"Yep! And so is Isshin! In fact, we've already been accepted. We only have to undergo one more interview, then after that, we're officially in!"

"I see… For a peasant to be allowed to take the entrance exams, you must be really talented."

"Well I don't know about that… Hehe…. But I'm so glad I've managed to make it! It has always been my dream to become a shinigami."

"Oh… That's good for you then. You can follow any path you wish with no one to stop you."

"Then why don't you fight for it?"

"Huh?"

"If what they're trying to make you do is not at your best interest, then you should fight for what you want to do with your life instead of sulking and moping around."

"Hey I'm not sulking! And nor am I moping around!"

"Of course you are. You just don't want to admit it."

"Well…

"I mean, if they really care about you, you're family I mean, then they should let you do things that you want to do, and all the better if what you're doing is what makes you happy!"

"I…"

"Yorouichi-sama! Thank goodness you've returned!" said one of Yorouichi's personal attendants. They were almost near the manor, but the maid had spotted them.

"Takiko…"

"You should hurry inside Yorouichi-sama! Thankfully, no one has seemed to notice that you disappeared!"

"Well you look like you have a rough day in ahead of you. I guess I'd have to make this "escorting" for free. Hehe… It was an honor to meet you Shihouin Yorouichi. Good Bye then…" said Urahara as he left as quickly as he could.

"Hey wait!" Yorouichi wondered if ever he would see that man again. That man who had just opened her eyes to endless possibilities.

a/n: Liked it? Hated it? Then let me know! )


	2. Chapter 2

"Shoot! I'm late!" Kisuke was running as fast as he could. The opening ceremony for the new students at the academy was just about to start. His bestfriend Isshin, had woken him up on time and went on ahead but apparently, his head crashed onto his pillow and he had fallen asleep again. He ran at random direction because actually, if truth be told, he didn't know his way around the academy. And everyone else seemed to busy to help him find his way. He ended up in the academy's garden. He was running around in circles not knowing how to get out of that area and not really noticing that he was about to bump into someone.

"Ow! Hey watch it!" said a young woman with dark skin. She had short hair and she was wearing the uniform of the academy, the red one for female students. Kisuke realized that he, in fact, knew this girl.

"Hey you're Yorouichi-san!"

"It's Yorouichi-sama to you!"

"Yeah right. Anyway what are you doing here? Said Kisuke while eyeing the young woman from head to toe.

"I should be asking you that! What are you doing here in the gardens when the opening ceremony is about to start!" said Yorouichi, glaring at the blond young man.

"Right back at ya. Darn I'm twenty minutes late!! Oh well… Might as well skip it."

"Hmph." She never thought that she'd see him again. Here he was standing in front of her. Looking intently at her with a sheepish grin on his face. She told herself that she'd thank this young man who opened her eyes if ever she saw him again. She decided that this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Hmm? What's up? Why are ya looking at me like that?" asked Kisuke

"Well… About the night you brought me back to my manor. I never did say thanks… So umm… Thank you." Said Yorouichi shyly. Never in her life had she thanked someone like this. It felt rather embarrassing for her. But at the same time, she felt that is was the right thing to do.

"Oh! Hey don't worry 'bout it. But you do owe me…" said Kisuke as he winked at her.

"Huh? But you said that you escorting me was for free!"

"Did I say that? Oh well…" Kisuke found a nearby bench and sat on it. He crossed his legs and had his arms at the back of his head.

"Hmph!" said Yorouichi as she too sat at the bench next to Kisuke.

"You never did answer my previous question. What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? Ditching the opening ceremony of course!"

"Tsk tsk… A member of the noble Shihouin clan ditching the opening ceremony? And here I was thinking you were "noble"."

"Say what you want but I'd rather stay here than bore myself to death!"

"Haha… Yeah I bet it would be really boring. I heard the commander of the Gotei 13 will be the one giving the speech."

"That old man speaks at a speed of 3 words per minute!" exclaimed Yorouichi

"That's so true Yorouichi-san! Hahaha!"

"Hey I told you its Yorouichi-sama!"

"Hai. "Yorouichi-sama" said Kisuke in a very sarcastic tone.

"On the other hand, Yorouichi-san is okay I guess. Since you and I are friends now."

"We're friends? Really?" asked a very surprised Kisuke

"Yep! I now consider you my friend because if it wasn't for you I'd still be stuck in the manor being home schooled like some sort of freak."

"Haha. But I'm happy for you Yorouichi-san. You can now follow the path that you've always wanted to take."

"And it's all because of you Urahara. Thanks again."

"I'm glad I was able to help!" Kisuke and Yorouichi had a very fun conversation although they did contrast each other's opinions once in a while. They didn't even notice the time.

"Oh wait!" said Kisuke as he looked at the time. "The ceremony must have ended already! We're going to be late for class! Said Kisuke as he stood up and turned to leave.

"Oi matte Urahara!" said Yorouichi as she stood up as well. "What class are you in anyway?"

"Class A of course! I'm rather talented you know."

"You don't look like you're talented though." Teased Yorouichi. "Anyway let's go Urahara!" said Yorouichi as he dragged Kisuke towards the main building.

(class 1-A)

"Whew we got here just in time Urahara! All because of my super speed!" bragged Yorouichi.

"I could have gotten here faster if you weren't dragging me around!" Replied Kisuke. They looked around the classroom. It had about 30 students including themselves. They found a familiar face at the back row waving at them.

"Oi Kisuke! What took you so long?"

"Isshin! I wouldn't have been late if you waited for me!" said Kisuke as he and Yorouichi seated themselves at the last row and sat next to Isshin.

"Sorry 'bout that man. I was kinda excited to get here! Haha!"

"Yeah! I bet you couldn't sleep last night huh?" asked Kisuke

"You bet! Who wouldn't be excited? Think of all the girls in this academy! There must be a ton of hot girls here!" exclaimed Isshin

"Didn't know you're friend here was a pervert, Urahara."

"Yeah I kinda pity him that's why I'm friends with him."

"Hey! I am not a pervert! I just like girls, a LOT. That's it" said Isshin defending himself. A man with gray hair and a moustache came in. He was wearing a shinigami's uniform and was holding several books with him.

"First years settle down! Take your seats! Let me first introduce myself. I am Sasakibe Choujiro! I will be your homeroom teacher from now on! And I'll also be your teacher in Kidou!" The entire class was intently listening to their sensei. Except for three students at the back that is. They were chatting quite loudly and they didn't even notice that their classmates were all staring at them.

"Shh! Keep quiet. The sensei is looking at you three.." Said a girl with long black hair softly. Her hair was in a braid and she was a rather pretty girl.

"The four of you at the back! Go to the Discipline office." Noticing that the four students weren't going to stand, he shouted "Now!" and they instantly stood up and left the class.

"It's a good thing we were let out of the classroom. I am kinda hungry." Said Yorouichi as the four of them, including the girl with black hair walked towards the discipline office that was just across the hall.

"No wonder you're round at the back, you're always hungry." Said Kisuke looking at Yorouichi's behind.

"Idiot!" Yorouichi smacked Kisuke really hard on the head.

"Oww! That hurt!" said Kisuke as he rubbed his aching head.

"Oh! Sorry if we kinda dragged you down with us." Isshin said to the blach haired girl.

"It's nothing. But you are a funny bunch. Hehe." Said the girl. She had a very soft voice and a polite tone.

"So what's your name?" asked Isshin

"Retsu, Unohana Retsu."

"What a lovely name! It suits you're lovely appearance indeed!" exclaimed Isshin.

"And you are?"

"Oh forgive me I forgot to introduce myself my dear lady. I am Kurosaki Isshin! The strongest freshman in this academy! And these two are my subordinates." Isshin never saw it coming. Yorouichi's fists that is.

"There's no way in hell that we'd be your subordinates! Ignore what he just said, Unohana-san. I am Urahara Kisuke and this is Shihouin Yorouichi.

"The Shihouin clan? My what an honor it is! To meet someone from the noble Shihouin clan!" The four of them talked on the way to the discipline office. When they got there they went inside and saw that the room looked just like a classroom. But it was smaller. There was a student taking a nap in one of the chairs. He was wearing a long floral overcoat over his school uniform. Kisuke, being the naughty prankster that he truly is, pinched the guy's nose and he woke up immediately. Yorouichi was laughing out loud. And so were the other two.

"Hey are you trying to kill me?" said the guy wearing an overcoat. He had long curly hair that was tied up. He stood up and grabbed Kisuke by his shirt. Kisuke didn't seemed to be afraid of this guy who was at least 5 inches taller than him and more muscular than him. Kisuke was just grinning at him.

"I am so sorry mister! I just couldn't help it!" said Kisuke trying to sound sincere. But his sincerity was just plain sarcasm.

"Why you I oughta!" He was about to punch Kisuke when he disappeared in an instant and was now at least 3 meters away from the guy. "_This guy is fast!"_ he thought.

"Kyoraku, stop it. The kid was right in waking you up. You were sleeping on the job!" they hadn't noticed that a young man with long white hair had entered the room. He was also wearing a student's uniform.

"Jushiro! That kid pinched me!"

"And I applaud him on doing that. So what are you doing here? Are you freshmen?" asked the guy with white hair called Jushiro

"Hai. Our teacher told us to go to the discipline office." Said Unohana

"I bet you're from Class A! Only Sasakibe-sensei would send students to the discipline office on the first day of school!"

"So who are you?" said Isshin.

"The way you talk, and the blond kid too. I'm guessing you're from Ryukongai?"

"So what if we are?" asked Isshin

"Oh nothing. I'm Ukitake Jushiro, from class 3-A and he's Shunsui Kyoraku also in the same class."

"Shunsui, a noble huh? So what's a noble like you doing here in the discipline office? Cutting classes I bet." Said Kisuke in a very cocky tone. Isshin was quiet, while Unohana and Yorouichi were looking slightly nervous. Unohana could sense that these two had strong reaitsu.

"So what if I am? If you don't happen to know, newbie, I'm the vice president of the discipline committee and Jushiro here is the president!"

"Urahara-san, it's better if we don't anger them any further. We might be given a much heavier punishment and we wouldn't want that." Said Unohana calmly.

"You should listen to you're pretty friend blondy. It's what's best for you." Said Kyoraku.

"Hmph. I guess you're right Unohana-san. Well then I'll leave my fate to you "sempai". Said Kisuke. Yorouichi was dumbfounded by this Urahara Kisuke. It's like he had split personalities. If someone first saw him, they would think that he was polite, softspoken and all in all a "nice" guy. But underneath that "nice guy" façade is a rude, brash, conceited and tough guy.

"I've just decided what punishment to give this freshmen Kyoraku." Said the man named Ukitake

"Really? So what is it?"

"Comfort Room Duties!"

"Hahaha! That's a good one Jushiro!" said Kyoraku laughing loudly.

"So what's this "Comfort Room Duties" anyway?" asked Yorouichi. Kisuke, Isshin, and Unohana all looked at her. It amazed them how that obvious a punishment still wasn't clear to her. She is a noble after all.

"Cleaning of course! We'll have a discipline committee member to watch you guys." Said Ukitake as he and Kyoraku turned to leave. "Oh I almost forgot! See that girl there sleeping at the back?" They turned around and they did saw a girl sleeping at the back of the room. "She'll be joining you so you should wake her up now." He and Kyoraku gave them winks and left the room.

"Hey Kisuke wake her up!" said Isshin.

"Why should I be the one to wake her up?" The girl had long black hair that was rather unruly. She was wearing a white bandana and was snoring loudly.

"We almost got into trouble with those guys because of you! Do it!" commanded Yorouichi.

"Yes ma'am!" Kisuke walked towards the girl and tapped her on the back, the girl stirred and suddenly she grabbed Kisuke's collar and kissed him. Everyone in the room, including Kisuke and excluding the girl, had very surprised looks on their faces. Kisuke pushed the girl away from him and stepped back. The girl opened her eyes and stood up.

"Oh so I was just dreaming huh. But that was one hell of a kiss!" said the girl.

"W-what?" said a very confused Kisuke

"Sorry 'bout that." The girl had inched closer to Kisuke while he continued to back away. "I was having this really great dream and it included kissing so I kinda got carried away and I ended up kissing you."

"Nice one Kisuke! Hahaha!" Isshin was now laughing and so was Unohana. Yorouichi didn't really feel like laughing because personally, what had just happened was not a laughing matter, for her that is.

"W-who are you anyway?!" asked Kisuke, he seemed really embarrassed.

"I'm Shiba Kuukaku, from class 1-B and it sure is a pleasure to have kissed you, handsome." When she said those words, chills ran down Kisuke's spine.

a/n: I know it sucks, I'll do my best to improve. Reviews please! Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

"Why are you here in the discipline office, Shiba-san?" asked Unohana.

"I punched this guy in my class, total jerk! And it landed me here! So how about you guys?" said Kuukaku.

"Punched huh? That's something else! Oi Kisuke what's wrong with you?" asked Isshin. Kisuke had been very quiet since Kuukaku had kissed him. Kuukaku kept going near him but he insisted on backing away from her. Yorouichi had also been quiet since.

"N-nothing! Could you not go near me, miss!" said Kisuke as he stepped away from Kuukaku again.

"That's soo cute! You're really shy huh? Oh c'mon don't be!" Kuukaku chased after Kisuke and they ended up running in circles inside the discipline office. When Kisuke ran towards Yorouichi's direction, mouthing the words "help me" to her, she ignored it and tripped Kisuke causing him to land face down on the floor.

"Ow! What was that for!"

"For being such a jerk! Hmph!" Yorouichi crossed his arms and turned away from Kisuke who was on the floor. Just then, A student had entered the discipline office. He had black spiky hair and a scowl on his face.

"Kuukaku! It's your first day in school and already you're put in disciplinary action!"

"It's not like I wanted to be here in the first place!" replied Kuukaku

"Who are you? Did you cause trouble too?" asked Isshin

"No. I'm Shiba Kaien from class 2-A. Member of the discipline committee. Jushiro-sempai told me to watch over you guys."

"Shiba..? Are the two of you related?" asked Kisuke as he stood up and fixed himself.

"Yes. Kuukaku here is my younger sister." Said Kaien.

"Well that's a shame! The older brother's a disciplinarian and the younger sister's a troublemaker!" said Isshin

"Anyway, the four of you come with me." Kaien led the four of them to the comfort room in the first floor of the main building that was just down the hall from the discipline office. He divided them into two groups. Kisuke and Yorouichi were assigned to clean the girl's bathroom, while Isshin, Unohana, and Kuukaku were to clean the boy's bathroom, which was dirtier. Kuukaku complained to her brother a number of times about the groupings because she wanted to be partnered with Kisuke as to "get to know him better" but his brother refused to do so. Kisuke was so relieved.

"Yorouichi-san, can you pass the brush?" asked Ksuke but Yorouichi just ignored him and she continued to scrub the tiles on the floor.

"Hey didn't you hear me?" said Kisuke. Yorouichi threw the brush at him and hit him on the head.

"Oww! Hey! That's like the third time you hit me today! Are you mad or something?"

"Why should I be?!" Though she said that, the tone of her voice sounded really pissed.

"Well I think you are! Look Yorouichi-san…" Kisuke stood up and kneeled on the floor next to Yorouichi, he was facing her back. "I don't know why you're so mad at me but I'm sorry…"

"Idiot!" said Yorouichi as he grabbed a bucket full of water and splashed it on Kisuke.

"Why you!" He also grabbed a bucket and threw it at her. They chased each other inside the bathroom throwing random stuff while laughing heartily like two little children.

Since that detention they got, Kisuke, Yorouichi, Isshin, Unohana and Kuukaku became good friends. Although Kuukaku still chased Kisuke around. It has become a sort of habit on her part. The five of them always hang out inside and outside the academy. But they did get into trouble a lot, and for the past months, they'd gotten detention more than 50 times, but it was usually Kisuke and Yorouichi who were in detention because they shared the same passion, pulling pranks.

"You're not concentrating enough! Do it again!" shouted Kisuke. It was lunch and the five of them were hanging out in the cliff at the back of the main building of the academy. They were going to have practical exams later in kidou later this afternoon. They were using this time to practice since all of them, except Kisuke, couldn't do it.

"Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Destructive art number 31! Shot of Red Fire!" said Yorouichi and nothing happened.

"Huh?! I was so sure I said the incantation right!"

"You did but you weren't concentrating! I told you! As you say the incantation, you should materialize your reiatsu into the palm of your hands and form a ball. It's really easy!" exclaimed Kisuke. He had been teaching Yorouichi for a couple of days now but she still wasn't able to do it. Among Kisuke's "students", Only Unohana could do it properly.

"Isshin, let me see how you're doing!"

"I can do it Kisuke, ne Unohana?" When Unohana had mastered the spell, she helped Isshin practice and he was able to do it once.

"Ye Lord! Mask of blood and fish, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Destructive art number 31! Shot of Red Fire!" The ball of reiatsu that Isshin formed blew up in his face.

"Isshin… You said "fish" instead of "flesh"…."

"Did I? Haha… Might as well try again!" said Isshin as he started chanting again and ended up hitting a branch and it landed on Unohana's head. Isshin apologized profusely to Unohana as she healed herself. Meanwhile, Kuukaku was under the same tree, catching zzz's…

"Shouldn't we wake Kuukaku?" asked Yorouichi. Though she didn't like her at first, Yorouichi eventually befriended her.

"Yeah we should. Hey Kuukaku!" shouted Kisuke and instantly she woke up

"Yes Kisuke my love?" said Kuukaku as she stood straight and batted her eyelashes at Kisuke.

"Shouldn't you be practicing for the practical exams?"

"But I need my beauty sleep! God! I wish I had a zanpakuto, so I could slice up the teacher and the exams would be suspended!"

"Zanpakuto's are given after graduation! And that's after our 6th year." Explained Yorouichi

"Then I wish I could graduate as soon as possible! Sigh…" They heard a distant ringing sound coming from the main building. The bell started ringing. That only meant that lunch break was over.

"It's time already! Shoot! Kisuke what the hell am I going to do! I still can't do it!" said Yorouichi, walking in circles while panicking.

"Yorouichi Hey don't panic! I'll think of something!" said Kisuke as the five of them dashed towards the main building.

"The 4th floor of the main building was the venue of the practical exams. There were no walls in the entire floor and the floor, ceiling, and windows were protected by a barrier made by the head of the academy Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, who also happened to be the commander of the Gotei 13.The commander himself was present in the practical examinations of the first years.

"Urahara, Shihouin, Kurosaki, Unohana, Shiba! You're all late! Minus 10 points!" said Sasakibe-sensei. Class A students were up first.

"What! But we're only 10 minutes late!" complained Isshin

"No complaining or I'll subtract more points from you! You're up next Kurosaki!" Isshin glared at Sasakibe-sensei who gave him another minus. Since he was slightly pissed, Isshin wasn't able to do the spell right and the sensei gave him a grade of D, which was the second to the lowest. Unohana was next and she was able to do the spell perfectly. She was given a grade of A.

"Shihouin! You're next!" called Sasakibe. Yorouichi jumped at the mention of her name. She panicked even more. Kisuke touched Yorouichi's shoulder and whispered to her ear.

"Press this button after the incantation." Kisuke handed her a small square object with a red button.

"W-what?"

"Just do it." He whispered again. "I told you I'd think of something." Said Kisuke as he winked at her and pushed her on the platform were she was to do the spell.

Yorouichi wasn't so sure about this but since Kisuke insisted; she might as well do it. She'll just kill Kisuke later if something goes wrong.

"Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Destructive art number 31! Shot of Red Fire!" chanted Yorouichi as she held out her hands and pushed the button. To her surprise, a ball of red energy had emerged from the small object and it hit the target.

"Nice one Yorouichi-san!" said Unohana. Isshin and Kuukaku were both surprised at how Yorouichi was able to do it. She looked behind and saw Kisuke giving him a thumbs up.

"Excellent! You get an A Shihouin!" said Sasakibe-sensei. She couldn't believe it! If it wasn't for this object Kisuke gave her, she probably would have gotten a F. Kisuke was up next and as he walked towards the platform, he passed by Yorouichi and she gave him a high five. Kisuke stood on the platform and began reciting the incantation.

"Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. Destructive Art number 66! Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash down!" chanted Kisuke as he shot two blue fires at the target dummy and it wasn't just hit at the center, nothing was left of it. All of the first years began to cheer loudly! The exam was only to perform one of the lower level destructive art, but he on the other hand, performed a high level art that is being taught to students in their 5th year! The commander also applauded Kisuke. The first time he laid eyes on this kid, he knew he had potential.

"Kisuke that was awesome man!" said Isshin as he patted Kisuke on his back. Kuukaku was running towards Kisuke to give him a hug (and possibly a kiss) but she ended up colliding with a bunch of freshmen making their way to Kisuke. Yorouichi also cheered for him.

"Urahara, you were supposed to perform destructive art number 31. But, I have never seen a first year do that spell with such ease! I'll give you an S!" said Sasakibe-sensei. And the crowd cheered louder.

"Did you see that Kyoraku? That Kid is awesome!" said Jushiro. Since he and Kyoraku didn't have classes at the moment, they decided to peek at the first year's examinations.

"Hmph! He may be good in Kidou but I'm quite sure I'm better than him when it comes to sword fighting!" said Kyoraku. He harbored ill feelings towards Kisuke ever since they first met. It pissed him off that he was getting too much attention in the academy and. And what's making him more pissed off is the fact that he was the usual target of his pranks! Kyoraku swore to himself that the next time he pulled another one on him, he'd beat him up!

(After classes)

"Kisuke-san, how were you able to do such a high level destructive art like that!" asked Unohana. The four of them were walking home from the academy (Kuukaku had been forced by his brother to accompany him home) .

"I've read it in a book in the library before. I thought I'd give it a try. Heehee…"

"Damn Kisuke! I wish I was a genius like you! Just imagine, if I had your brains I'd look twice as handsome!" said Isshin

"Are you implying that you're handsome, Isshin?"

"Heh! Shut up Yorouichi! But you know, I thought you wouldn't be able to do it." Isshin said to Yorouichi

"Well you see… Oww! Kisuke what was that for!" Kisuke had pinched her on her arm and gave her a "don't-tell-them" look.

"We're almost in Ryukongai." Said Unohana as they reached the intersection, the left path lead to Ryukongai while the other path is the way to Seiretei, where all the nobles reside.

"Isshin, Retsu, you guys go on ahead! Miss Shihouin here still owes me!" said Kisuke as he dragged Yorouichi and headed towards Seiretei. Isshin and Unohana were left with question marks on their faces.

"Why didn't you want them to know? And what was that object you gave me anyway?" asked Yorouichi as he broke Kisuke's hold on her.

"I call that the Kidou master Mark 1! It's one of my first inventions actually. It performs the last kido spell that was done on it. Am I great or am I great?"

"You invented this thing? You really are a geek!"

"Well excuse me for being a geek! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been able to get a high grade if it wasn't for yours truly!"

"Hmph…" Yorouichi crossed her arms and turned her back on him. "Well I guess I do owe you one. Thanks."

"Is that the proper way to say thanks?" Kisuke moved in front of her and stared her directly in her eyes. Kisuke has never seen Yorouichi's eyes this close before. They were really beautiful, because of its rare color, yellow. They were like a cat's but it suited her perfectly.

"Oi what are you doing!" said Yorouichi as he pushed Kisuke away. Kisuke didn't seem to realize that he had been staring at her eyes for too long.

"Oh uhh… Sorry… Hehe…" said Kisuke as he scratched the back of his head and blushed slightly.

"Well anyway, I'll be fine here the manor is just around the corner. You'd better go home"

"Okay… See you tomorrow then. "Yorouichi-sama"

"See yah, genius!" said Yorouichi as she waved at Kisuke and made her way towards the Shihouin Manor.

"Yeah… see yah…" mumbled Kisuke to himself as he walked the other way and wondered what it was that he felt when he looked at her eyes.

a/n: Thanks to those who reviewed! They really made my day! And hopefully, you'll review this chapter too! If some things aren't clear to you, feel free to ask and I'll answer them! I also accept suggestions! Thanks again! Peace!


	4. Chapter 4

After 8 months in the academy, the five freshmen have become well known. Unohana Retsu, a studious girl who had superb healing powers. Kurosaki Isshin, a talented swordsman and a known ladies man. Shiba Kuukaku, lazy most of the time but an excellent martial artist. Shihouin Yorouichi, a girl from a noble clan known for her talents in shunpo and her very obvious beauty. And last but not the least, the most popular amongst these freshmen, Urahara Kisuke, who gained fame because he was nicknamed a genius. Talented in almost everything he does, kidou, shunpo, zanjutsu (swordsmanship), and his most notable talent, pulling pranks along with his usual accomplice, Shihouin Yorouichi.

Today was just like any other day in the academy. It was lunch time. Retsu was at their usual hang out place, the big sakura tree behind the main building situated near a cliff. She had a book and was reading intently although Isshin kept pestering Retsu to help him with their assignment. Kuukaku on the other hand was busy catching her usual zzz's. Meanwhile, Kisuke and Yorouichi were at the academy grounds, scouting for possible targets for prank number 175. Though these two were famous for their pranks, they only did it to students who deserved it, so most students, especially geeks, were friendly with them. The two walked through the grounds together.

"Ne Kisuke, How about that one?" asked Yorouichi as she pointed at a well rounded boy who was on his 3rd year. He was eating lunch quite disturbingly.

"Why what's with that one? He's just eating you know. It's not like he's bullying other kids." Said Kisuke. It was in his philosophy that only bullies deserved to be punished.

"Doesn't he gross you out? I mean look at him! He's eating like a pig! And look! He doesn't mind that ants have appeared on his food!"

"Yeah it is kinda gross. But we'll just move along." Said Kisuke as he got behind Yorouichi and pushed her to continue walking.

"Ah ha! We have a target!"

"Where?" asked Yorouichi as he searched the main building grounds not knowing who Kisuke was referring to.

"That one see! Our usual target! It's been a week since we last pulled one on him!"

"Oh him! So what's our plan?" Kisuke began whispering to Yorouichi's ear as she continuously nodded.

"So! You ready Yorouichi?"

"You bet I am! Here we go!" Kisuke and Yorouichi began to approach their target. They patted him on the back and he turned to face them.

"Uhmm… Excuse me… Kyoraku-sempai." Said Kisuke politely.

"What do you want now Urahara? Are you gonna pull another one on me?!"

"Of course not! You see Yorouichi and I, we kinda realized the errors of our ways. And we wanna make up for it."

"We really are sorry Kyoraku-sempai. I hope you'll understand that we really didn't mean all those things we put you through. Kisuke and I were just jealous of your fame and your talents." Said Yorouichi as the two of them bowed deeply in apology.

"Please forgive us!" said the both of them in unison. Some students who were watching looked really surprised. These two freshmen had never apologized like this before.

"Well… You're only freshmen, so it's natural for you guys to be still acting childish. But since you're apologizing like this, I might as well forgive you guys!"

"Really? Thank you so much Kyoraku-sempai! And as a token of our apology, we'll buy you lunch!" said Yorouichi as they dragged Kyoraku towards the cafeteria. Kisuke ordered a sandwich and juice from the lunch lady and gave Yorouichi a thumbs up. This is how they signal each other.

"So uhmm Kyoraku-sempai, do you have a girlfriend?" asked Yorouichi as she sat closer to Kyoraku.

"No. Why do you ask, Shihouin?"

"Actually there's another reason why I always choose you as a target for our pranks." Said Yorouichi. The other students at the cafeteria looked on. From their point of view, it looks as if the famous Shihoun Yorouichi is flirting with Kyoraku Shunsui, vice-president of the discipline committee.

"Why?"

"Because I like you Kyoraku-sempai! So much that I wanted to get your attention!!"

A couple of meters away, Kisuke laughed softly as he messed with the sandwich and the juice.

"You do? Well I don't blame you Shihouin, My charms are hard to resist!" bragged Kyoraku. "But wait, what about Urahara?"

"Him? Don't worry! We're not dating you know! He's just a friend! And just between you and me, he's gay…" said Yorouichi as she whispered softly on Kyoraku's ears. Her charms seemed to be working.

"Here you go Sempai! Hope you like it!" Kisuke handed Kyoraku the sandwich. He took a bite from it and then…

"ARGH!!! It's freakin spicy!!!!!"

"Kyoraku sempai are you okay? Here have some juice!" said Yorouichi as she handed to him the juice and he quickly drank from it. Unknown to him, Kisuke had put a very strong menthol liquid on it, and you know what would happen if you take anything with menthol in it after eating something spicy. It just increases the spicyness ten-fold!

"AAAAHHH!!!! Urahara!!! I'll kill you!!!" But it was too late since Kisuke and Yorouichi had disappeared.

* * *

"Did you see the look on his face! Hahaha!!" laughed Yorouichi as she continued running. They reached the academy's old building, which was now abandoned. Yorouichi, noticing that they had lost Kyoraku, went inside the old building, and sat in an old chair. Kisuke did the same.

"Kisuke! What's up with you?! Aren't you satisfied with that?"

"Huh? Oh well I am… But…"

"But what?"

"You told him I was gay!" said Kisuke, raising his voice

"That's why you're upset? But that was clearly a joke!"

"Well I… You don't think I'm gay right?"

"Of course not! Well when I first met you I thought you were since most geeks I know turned out to be gay but… You're different from those geeks Kisuke!"

"Really?" asked Kisuke. It amazed Yorouichi how a genius prankster like him could be so sensitive at times.

"Definitely!"

"It's just that, I would want people having the impression that I'm gay. ESPECIALLY you, Yorouichi." Said Kisuke shyly, looking intently at the floor.

"Then you don't have anything to worry 'bout Kisuke! Because I know you're all man!"

"You bet I am! Hahaha! Wanna bet Yorouichi?"

"Bet about what?"

"On how long Kyoraku's gonna hold up before he really cracks."

"I think we'd both lose Kisuke. Behind you, Look." Kyoraku was behind them, his face red with anger.

"Oh-oh… Yorouichi, Run!"

* * *

"There you are! Where were you guys?" asked Retsu. They were at the school's front gates. Classes had just finished.

"Yeah where were you? You didn't come to class after lunch!" said Isshin who was holding a dozen books, probably Retsu's.

"Oh you know… Around…"

"Yorouichi!!!!" yelled Kuukaku, she was running towards them at an alarming speed. "Why were you with my love Kisuke!?! And what were you guys doing, huh?!"

"Well you know, the usual.." said Yorouichi casually

"Plotting again huh?"

"Got that right Isshin!" answered Kisuke

"Oh wait! I forgot some of my books! You guys go on ahead okay? I'll see you tomorrow! Bye! Isshin, come on!" said Retsu as she dragged Isshin by his collar and headed towards the academy.

"So what's with Retsu and Isshin huh. Are they dating?" asked Kuukaku, who somehow managed to cling onto Kisuke's arm.

"I don't think so. But man! Retsu's really something. Turning Isshin into her slave or something." Said Kisuke

"Yeah… I wonder how Retsu did it…"

"Kuukaku!" called Kaien, he had just come from the direction of the academy.

"Oh Man! Just when I thought I could get to walk home with my Kisuke! Sigh! I'll see you tomorrow Kisuke my love! Mwuah!" said Kuukaku as she gave Kisuke a flying kiss and joined her brother.

"That Kuukaku sure is something huh…"

"Oh I bet! You just love it when she clings to you!" said Yorouichi, in a slightly, but not obvious, angry tone.

"I didn't say I like it!"

"But it's very obvious that you do like it, Urahara!!!"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you- AAHH!" Yorouichi had not noticed there was an uncovered sewage hole, and she fell right into it.

"You okay there Yorouichi?" asked Kisuke in a very mocking tone.

"'Course I'm not okay?!! I'm covered in some icky stuff! Help me out here!"

"Only if you say "Please Kisuke-sama! I beg of you!""

"I'm not friggin' doing that Kisuke!"

"Oh I see... Then I should be going home now, it's getting late. See yah at the academy, Yorouichi!" Kisuke turned to leave as Yorouichi screamed.

"Kisuke! If you leave me here I'll tell everyone about your secret!"

"S-secret? What are you talking about, Yorouichi-_san_?" said Kisuke as he stopped dead on his tracks.

"Isshin told me you're most dreaded secret! Bwahaha!!!"

"I don't know what you're talking about Y-yorouichi!"

"Oh really? If the school finds out about this they'll think less of you. Mr. boy-genius."

"N-n-n-n-n-n-oooOO!! Okay Okay I'll get you outta there!" said Kisuke as he slowly descended unto the sewers and found Yorouichi, sitting in a pile of waste, with a grin on her face.

"Hehehe…"

"I'm here to help you! Promise me you won't tell anyone okay?"

"A Shihouin never backs down from his or her words!"

"Then I'll take your word for it, Shihouin Yorouichi! Come on Let's go!" Kisuke held out his hand to her, which she took.

"Honestly Kisuke, It wasn't that big a deal anyway. I mean, so what if the entire student body finds out that you that stopped wetting you're bed when you were 15."

A/n: Oh wow! Took me long enough! Sorry! R & R please! Tell me what you guys think! I'll try to make the next chapter longer! Oh and FYI: In this fic, it starts out with Kisuke being 17, and Yorouichi, Isshin, Kuukaku and Retsu are 18. Kyoraku and Jushiro are two years older.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been three weeks since his first year at the academy had ended, it was summer vacation. Kisuke has never felt this bored. He lies on his bed, his arms behind his head, whistling some tune he just can't get out of his head and thinking deeply, wondering… Wondering what she could be doing right now…

"_Bet she's having a "noble family member etiquette lecture" or something." _Thought Kisuke. He had nothing to do and was bored out of his wits, he hasn't even eaten yet and it's already past noon. His housemate, Isshin left early to run some errands for some old guy who he works part-time for. And what pisses him the most is the fact that today is his birthday and no one seemed to remember.

"_I hate this… its summer, its too darn hot, I haven't eaten anything, it's my birthday and no one's greeted me yet…"_ sighed Kisuke. He stood up from his bed and began pacing around the four corners of their small house.

"Oi, Kisuke! I'm back!" shouted Isshin, who had just entered the house. He was holding a bag of what seemed to be vegetables.

"Took you too darn long Isshin! Where were you?"

"Eastern Ryukongai, that old dude wanted to buy something there. I've brought some food! Why don't you cook something up?"

"Are you ordering me, Isshin?" glared Kisuke

"You know very well I don't know how to cook…"

"Hmph!!!"

"What's with you anyway? You seem really pissed for some reason?" inquired Isshin

"You don't know?! Don't you remember what day it is?"

"Well no…"

"Argh!!" Kisuke threw his arms in the air and retreated back to his bed.

"Come on now Kisuke, aren't you hungry? Go and cook some food for us…" said Isshin

"Do it yourself Isshin!" retorted Kisuke as he sank unto his pillow.

"Tsk… Well, I'm going to Retsu's for awhile, see if I can eat at her place.

"Go ahead! See if I care!" exclaimed Kisuke. Not even looking at Isshin.

"You've got serious issues Kisuke. Well, See yah!" Isshin said as he walked out the door. Kisuke was all by himself again, after several minutes of lying down, he stood up once more and decided it would probably be a good idea if he walked around outside since he didn't have anything better to do anyway. Western Ryukongai was as busy as always, little kids running around the streets, vendors calling to the passers-by… Kisuke wondered how they were able to withstand the afternoon heat. His feet took him all around western Ryukongai, wandering around aimlessly.

"_This is the worst birthday ever…"_ sighed Kisuke to himself. Kisuke decided that maybe it was better if he just went home and sleep, or maybe invent stuff again so he headed back. By the time he reached home, it was already night.

"_I guess Isshin isn't home yet."_ Said Kisuke, seeing as the house looked really dark inside. He opened the door and was about to turn on the lights when…

"Surprise!!!"

"WAAH! What the f..?!"

"We got him haha!" said Isshin, holding a small round birthday cake. There was something written on icing; Happy Birthday Genius! –from your uber cool friends. Just when Kisuke was about to give up on having a nice birthday for a change, something like this happens.

"Kisuke darling! Can I give you my birthday gift now? Please?" begged an enthusiastic Kuukaku, Kisuke nodded. He was lost for words.

"Yeah!" and without any warning, Kuukau kissed Kisuke on the lips and was pulled back.

"Oi! Don't make out here!"

"Yorouichi! You're here! But I thought you said you were going to be busy this summer vacation with lectures and training and stuff?" asked Kisuke.

"Yeah well, be grateful you prat! I took some time off so I could be here on your birthday!"

"Aww… That's so sweet! Ne Kisuke-kun?" teased Retsu. Kisuke gave her a questioning look.

"Yeah it is sweet… Coming from Yorouichi that is…"

"What do you mean by that Kisuke?!" retorted Yorouichi

"Now, now… It's Kisuke's birthday! Let's all enjoy the night!" exclaimed Isshin. The five of them ate and drank sake all night long, laughing out loudly as they did so. Retsu was passed out on Isshin's bed, while Isshin slept on the cold floor, snoring heartily. Kuukaku on the other hand forced her way to sleep on Kisuke's bed. Only Kisuke and Yorouichi were awake and still, they were drinking.

"Damn Yorouichi! How can you drink so much?" asked Kisuke, who was already red in the face.

"Well, probably because I'm of noble blood…"

"Ehh?! What's that got to do with you being able to drink so much?"

"Nothing really. Haha!! Kampai!" said Yorouichi as she lifts her glass.

"K-kampai…" said Kisuke, whose voice, was beginning to sound weak.

"Kisuke what's wrong? You're shaking already! Ha! Finally I beat you at something!"

"I-I can still drink you know! Here goes!" Kisuke downed an entire sake bottle in a minute.

"Still alive, Kisuke?" asked Yorouichi. Kisuke's head was on the table and he was unmoving.

"Ugh… My head hurts…" replied Kisuke

"Gwahaha! You couldn't beat me after all!"

"You're a drinking monster… The sake you drink all go to your ass I bet, you're a little round there…."

"Shut it Kisuke!" said Yorouchi as he smacked Kisuke on the head really hard…

"Itai! Sorry!"

"Hmph!!"

"Yorouichi…" said Kisuke in a soft voice as he sat closer to her.

"What?"

"Thank You."

"For what?"

"Isshin said that all of this was your idea…"

"No problem!" said Yorouichi as she smiled at him.

"…."

"Kisuke?"

"Hmm?"

"Happy Birthday." Said Yorouichi. Kisuke had been waiting all day to hear those two words coming from her.

"Thanks." Said Kisuke. He touched Yorouichi's face gently and kissed her… (a/n: on the lips, obviously…))

* * *

A week after the start of their second year in the academy, Kisuke, as always, woke up late and Isshin, as always, left him behind. Kisuke hurriedly put on his white and blue uniform and dashed towards the academy. Kisuke and Yorouichi have not been able to talk since his birthday two weeks ago. They did hang out, with Isshin Retsu and Kuukaku, but no words were exchanged between them. Even during class. Their friends obviously noticed it but never said a word. Kisuke couldn't bring himself to talk to her, he wasn't really sure what to say to her since he vaguely remembers what happened that night, being drunk and all. The only thing he could remember was the feel of Yorouichi's lips on his, and ironically, it tasted really good.

"Jidanbou-san! Matte!" shouted Kisuke as the school's guard Jidanbou stopped closing the gate and let him in.

"You always manage to arrive just in time Urahara!"

"I know! Hehe… See yah!" waved Kisuke as he headed for their classroom on the main building's second floor. When he got to the room the teacher wasn't there yet.

"Kisuke, over here!" called Isshin, who was sitting beside Retsu and beside her was Yorouichi.

"Hey guys…" greeted Kisuke as he took the seat beside Isshin. Yorouichi did not look at him at all.

"Settle down everyone!!!" roared Sasakibe-sensei. The whole class immediately turned silent and sat properly. "I'll be pairing you with a classmate and you'll have to practice the demon art I showed you yesterday. Here are the pairs!" Sasakibe-sensei then called the pairs. Isshin was paired with Retsu and to Kisuke's demise, he was paired with Yorouichi. The two went to the corner to practice.

"Uhmm… So… have you tried doing the spell?" asked Kisuke shyly. Yorouichi only shook her head. "T-then I'll show you how it's done then… Destructive art number 54! Abolishing flames!" A fire blast of purple energy erupted from Kisuke's hand and Incinerated the target completely. Kisuke's classmates applauded him.

"Very good Urahara! Just as I expected!" said Sasakibe-sensei. Yorouichi really found it interesting how Kisuke was able to perform a spell like that with such ease.

"You try it…" said Kisuke.

"Destructive art number 54! Abolishing flames!" shouted Yorouichi, unfortunately, only a purple spark came out. It took Yorouichi several attempts to finally do the spell, but it wasn't as perfect as Kisuke's.

"Nice… You finally did it Yorouichi."

"Thanks for your help, I guess… Later." Said Yorouichi as she turned to leave Kisuke. Kisuke grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Wait Yorouichi… I… Well about what happened that night… Well you know…"

"W-what about it?" asked Yorouichi nervously.

"Well… Uhmm.. We should just forget about it… It was clearly a mistake and we were both drunk and all…"

"Y-yeah… And we're friends after all! It was just the sake…"

"So uhm… I hope we can hang out again… Just like before…"

"Of course Kisuke! I was waiting for you to say so…"

"Great… and I was just wondering Yorouichi… we're friends right? Dating would be really REALLY impossible right?" asked Kisuke

"Yeah! And a noble such as myself, wouldn't dare date a commoner like you. But we can be friends… See yah, Genius!" said Yorouichi as she made her way to Retsu.

"Yeah… Friends huh…?" said Kisuke quietly to himself… Being friends doesn't sound all that bad… But why does he feel so... empty?

A/n: Aww Poor Kisuke and Yorouichi… they're not sure what it is they feel for each other! Oh my! Took longer than what I expected! SOOOO SORRY!!! Hopefully, after I finish my other fic, I'll be able to work on this one more! Yey! I'll try to update maybe… 5-7 days, who knows… But seriously! I will update! Wait for the next one okay! Thanks for the reviews and please don't forget to review this one too! Later!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Kisuke sat on his chair, at the far back of the classroom and he felt like pulling out all of his hair, and putting them back together again. That's how bored he was. He thought being a third year was something to look forward to. But sadly he thought wrong. The lessons were all too easy for him. Just the other day, a newbie professor cried her eyes out when he bashed at her and corrected her every statement. He was, once again, given detention by the discipline committee much to Kyoraku's dismay. He looked around him… his classmates were all so engrossed with Sasakibe sensei's lecture about a shinigami's duties. Next to him, Isshin was copying notes.

"Isshin…" quietly called Kisuke. Isshin looked up from his notebook.

"What?"

"Is Soul Society coming to an end?" asked the blond genius.

"Huh?"

"Because you're copying Sasakibe-sensei's lecture! What's up with that?" mocked Kisuke.

"Unlike you, I'm just an average joe. I don't have your brains you know!" retorted Isshin. In front of them, Unohana Retsu glanced at the two and made a hushing noise.

"Oh really?" whispered Kisuke

"Err… no… Retsu doesn't let me copy off from her anymore… and she scolded me the other day. Saying stuff like growing up, being responsible, and all that crap…." Said Isshin quietly.

"Ah. You're totally whipped, Isshin my friend…"

"I am not!" said Isshin. Kisuke laughed at his friend. Just then, the bell rang which meant their last class for the day was over.

"Class! I forgot to remind you! There will be a field exercise tomorrow for all third years. This is a group activity together with the 5th years who will be assisting you. I've posted the groups in the main building's lobby. Don't forget to come to school early! You'll be meeting with your group members then. Dismissed!" said the sensei. Class 3-A started filling out of the classroom. Kisuke and Isshin met up with Retsu.

"I wonder where Yorouichi is, she hasn't come back since she ran out of our first class…" said Kisuke, he tried to follow her, but too bad he lost sight of her.

"Maybe she still has diarrhea. Poor girl…" said Isshin. Kisuke couldn't help but smile as he remembered. A couple of days ago, Yorouichi had eaten quite a lot of rice balls from the academy's cafeteria, only to realize later on that the rice balls had expired two weeks ago. She had to be sent home from the nurse's office because of it and was absent for two days.

"Before we go, can we drop by the lobby first? I want to take a look at the bulletin board." Said Retsu. Kisuke and Isshin nodded and as the three of them turned to leave, they were stopped in their tracks by a brash, long black haired girl, with a white bandana around her head.

"Hey! Don't tell me you forgot about me again!"

"Oh… Kuukaku-chan! Of course we didn't forget you." Said Retsu. In reality, she did, and probably Kisuke and Isshin too, forgot to wait for their friend who still happens to be in class B even as a third year.

"Our classroom's just right next to yours! I can't believe you guys are my friends!" exclaimed Kuukaku. She always felt left out of the group.

"Your brother not picking you up then?" asked Kisuke. Kuukaku's brother Kaien, a 4th year, always picks her up after school, fearing that if he didn't, she'd do something foolish.

"Nope!" said Kuukaku, sounding really happy. "He's with a girl… I think her name was Miyako something…"

"Miyako? THE Kasugano Miyako? Wow! She's really hot…!" said Isshin. Retsu dropped her books on Isshin's foot, (On purpose of course) and he cried out in pain as he clutched his foot and jumped up and down in agony. (a/n: I made up miyako's last name since I don't know what it is.)

"Yeah… Anyway! You guys were heading to the bulletin board right? Oi, where the hell's my Kisuke…?!!!" exclaimed Kuukaku. Retsu and Isshin looked behind them, and Kisuke was indeed gone.

"That's weird; he was just here a minute ago… Maybe he ran because of you Kuukaku, he didn't want to catch your cooties!"

"Shut it Kurosaki! KISUKE WHERE ARE YOU?!!!"

* * *

"_I wonder where she is…?"_ thought Kisuke. He left without saying a word to Isshin and the others. He didn't want them to know but, he's actually really worried about Yorouichi and he decided to go to the Shihouin mansion. Kisuke reached the mansion after a couple of minutes and saw several important looking people enter the mansion. He was stopped by a Shihouin guard.

"What business do you have here?" growled the tall scary looking guard.

"I'm a friend of Yorouichi's. Is she already home?"

"You? A friend of Yorouichi-sama's? Ha! As if I'd believe that! Go home brat!"

roared the guard.

"That's rude! Can't you see I'm wearing a shinigami academy uniform? I'm a classmate of hers!" exclaimed Kisuke, who didn't seem to cringe at the huge man's outburst.

"Yorouichi-sama is entertaining some very important guests! Now go away before I lose my patience boy!

"Tch… Fine. But at least tell me who she's meeting with!"

"Her fiance!" said the large man, who seemed to be losing his patience.

"Fiance…?!! Who?"

"The only son of the noble Nakatsu family! Now go before I slit your throat!" screamed the guard. Kisuke didn't need to be told twice as he disappeared in an instant.

* * *

The next day, Kisuke walked towards the academy not really looking where he was walking, as he bumped a few people on the way. He was too preoccupied with stuff that had been bothering him since yesterday. Yorouichi has a fiancé… She has a fiancé… Why the hell didn't she tell him? When he got to the main building's lobby, his classmates were already there.

"Hey…" greeted Kisuke, looking as if he hadn't slept in days.

"You look glum… what happened?" asked Isshin. Kuukau who noticed Kisuke's arrival ran and tightly hugged the poor guy.

"Kisuke! I missed you! It's too bad we're not in the same group… Sigh…"

"Group? What for?"

"The field exercises! I heard we're going to the Human World today… Man I love that place!" said Isshin. Ever since their first field exercise when they were freshmen, Isshin had been babbling on and on about how great the Human world was.

"Kisuke-kun, do you know who your group mates are?" asked the ever-so-polite Retsu. Kisuke shooked his head."

"Retsu and I are on the same group, along with two other fifth year guys. We'll be going over there to meet with them. Good Luck with the exercises Kisuke! You'll need it!" said Isshin as he and Retsu waved to them and left.

"Kuukaku, what about you?" asked Kisuke

"Were you not listening to me earlier darling? We're not in the same group… I'm with those geeks there. Well, see you later Kisuke! Mwuah!" Upon leaving, Kuukaku gave Kisuke flying kisses, and headed towards her geeky group mates. Kisuke looked like a lost little puppy. Around him, students were meeting with their respective groups, he in turn, had no idea who his group mates were.

"Oi, Kisuke!" called an all too familiar bossy voice. Kisuke turned around and saw Shihouin Yorouichi walking towards him.

"Yorouichi…"

"We're in the same group again! Lucky!" said Yorouichi as she smiled at him.

"I'm not gonna help you out again like last time! You're in your third year in the academy and you still can't defeat a stinking hollow on your own!" said Kisuke. He decided to set aside the many questions he wanted to ask her and just do it later.

"A noble girl like her would not allow her hands to get dirty, she'd rather have a peasant like you do all the dirty work!" said a voice from behind them.

"My! Kyoraku-sempai! A noble such as you shouldn't be bothering to insult a humble peasant like me…" mocked Kisuke. Kyouraku was about to grab Kisuke when he was stopped by his white-haired bestfriend.

"Kyouraku… we should be fighting together, not fighting each other!" said Ukitake Jushiro.

"What?! Don't tell me we're with Mr. Noble-ass here?" whined Kisuke. Yorouichi nodded and Kisuke threw his hands in the air in defeat.

"We're squad 2." Said Yorouichi

"Urahara, Shihouin, I hope we can all set aside our differences and work together as a team, okay?" said the sickly fifth year student as he smiled at them. It always bothered Kisuke why a spoiled, womanizing hot-head like Kyoraku Shunsui is bestfriends with the polite, studious and refined Ukitake Jushiro. But then again, he and Yorouichi are complete opposites but that doesn't change the fact that they're friends. Sasakibe-sensei arrived with three other instructors and the headmaster, Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, who also happens to be a gotei 13 captain. (a/n: he isn't the commander yet…)

"The gate to the human world will open in 10 minutes, until then, each group will have to select a leader, prepare and make sure everything is in order!" said Sasakibe-sensei. The students then began pacing around the lobby in anticipation; others sat quietly in a corner nervously.

"I guess I'll be the leader then!" said kyoraku. Kisuke and Yorouichi instantly glared at him.

"No way in hell!" shouted the two.

"I think Ukitake-sempai should be the leader since he's like… the voice of reason!" said Yorouichi

"Yeah, better Ukitake than this guy…" said Kisuke, pointing to a very disgruntled Kyoraku.

"tch… Fine…"

"I'm the leader? Oh okay then. I'll do my best!" said Ukitake. For the remaining time, Kyoraku and Ukitake were preparing healing items. Kisuke decided that this was the best time to approach Yorouichi. He made his way towards her. She was leaning on a wall in silence.

"Yorouichi?"

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Kisuke. Yorouichi looked at him with confused eyes.

"Tell you what?"

"About your engagement…" said Kisuke dimly.

"Wha… How did you know?"

"I…heard…"

"I…well an arranged marriage between two noble families is a normal tradition… I thought maybe you somehow… Had an idea already…"

"Well that thought never crossed my mind! You should have told me! We're friends right?" Kisuke raised his voice. Yorouichi was taken aback. This is exactly how she imagined he would take it.

"Of course Kisuke… But I didn't think it would be a big deal…"

"It is a big deal…! I…"

"Oi! Urahara, Shihouin! It's time to go!" called Kyouraku. Kisuke scowled at him. He turned to leave when Yorouichi grabbed his arm.

"Kisuke…"

"Later! We'll talk later!" exclaimed Kisuke. Yorouichi let go of his arm as he walked away from her. She sighed. She has never seen Kisuke like this before.

* * *

When they got to the human world, they were told to spread out by groups. Ukitake and his group were stationed on what seemed to be an abandoned port. Kisuke sulked in a corner, with his arms crossed.

"Urahara! Instead of mopping around there. How about you go patrol the area!" shouted Kyoraku. Kisuke paid no attention to him.

"Ukitake, are we just going to wait here for the hollows to appear?" asked Yorouichi

"That's our orders. If a high level hollow appears, we are to retreat right away."

"This sucks… It's been 10 minutes and not one stinking hollow has appeared yet!"

"Calm down Shunsui… We can't leave our post." Said Ukitake. Suddenly, a massive surge of reiatsu was released somewhere near them. A hollow.

"Finally! But where is it coming from??"

"Shunsui… It's in another area. Another group is stationed there. Let them handle it…"

"Are you kidding? They won't be able to handle something like this… This reiatsu is… unusual!" said Yorouichi. Kisuke walked closer to the others. He kneeled on the ground, unsheathed his katana and engraved a circle on the ground. With his katana, he divided the circle into four parts and drew a specific character in each. The others looked at him with confused looks.

"A hollow is nearby! Now's not the time to be doodling on the ground!" exclaimed Kyouraku. Ukitake's eyes widened.

"This… this is!"

"Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain." As Kisuke chanted, the circle started to glow and set of numbers appeared.

"Urahara… That's a high level Binding spell. The summoning of the tracking sparrows! How are you able to do this spell?" asked Ukitake.

"Luck I guess…." He answered simply.

"So what does this spell do?" inquired Yorouichi

"It tracks and locates any spiritual force the user focuses on… Where is the hollow?"

"185 degrees north and 43 degrees south of here. We're going right?" said Kisuke, as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

"We should go! Ukitake-sempai, the group stationed there won't be able to handle it on their own!"

"B-but… We were specifically told to…"

"Oh quit it Jushiro! Let's just go okay?" said Kyouraku. Kisuke was already running, Yorouichi following behind him. Ukitake nodded hesitantly as they went after the two. When they got to the area, it was total chaos. Two female classmates of Kisuke and Yorouichi were lying on the ground, bleeding profusely and unmoving. The two female fifth years were still holding on to their lives, bearing several cuts and bruises. A huge hollow with numerous tentacles were before them.

"Ukitake! Kyouraku! Help us!" screamed the fifth year girl of squad 3. Ukitake ran towards the girls and began healing them with Kidou.

"More shinigami babies huh? More fun for me then! Wahaha!" said the hideous hollow. Kisuke drew his katana once again and lunged towards the hollow. The hollow parried his sword attack with one of its tentacles but Kisuke turned 360 degrees in midair and he managed to cut at least three tentacles.

"You've got guts kid! But you won't be able to beat me on your own!" said the hollow. Kisuke grinned mischievously.

"Wanna bet?" he mocked. He disappeared in a flash and minutes later, the hollow was tentacle-less.

"What? How could a kid like you defeat me…? Ugh…" and with one final slash, the hollow was defeated. Kyouraku was glued to the ground. He was stunned. Urahara was too damn powerful. So all those times he challenged him to a duel, Urahara was taking it easy on him.

"Nice one Kisuke!" cheered Yorouichi

"I'm still mad at you!" bellowed Kisuke.

"Hmph, fine!"

"What's wrong with you?" Kisuke raised an eyebrow at Kyouraku. He finally snapped out of it…

"Oh…uhh…well…err…"

"Get a grip! H-huh? What's that?" said Kisuke. He pointed to the sky where a black line of sorts had appeared. Fear spread on Ukitake's face.

"That's… Garganta…"

"N-n-no way! A menos?" exclaimed Kisuke. True enough, a Gillian had appeared out of the sky.

"Everyone! Retreat!" shouted Ukitake. They didn't need to be told twice. Yorouichi took hold of one of the injured third year as Ukitake did the same on the other one and they started to run. Kyouraku noticed that one of the two fifth years was struggling to drag her injured friend. He went back to help her as he held the injured girl. A red burst of energy was starting to form around the menos' mouth and it was aimed towards Kyouraku. The menos fired the cero. Kyouraku closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes and saw Urahara, bleeding everywhere, a red barrier surrounding him.

"KISUKE!!!" screamed Yorouichi. The barrier broke and Kisuke fell to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

a/n: oh my goodness! I'm so so so so so sorry for the very late update! Please don't hate me… I just broke free from a two-month long writer's block on this one… I don't know when I'll be able to update next… since I'll be working on my thesis… But I promise! I will update! No matter how long it takes!

P.s: Please do review! Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Kisuke woke up from a dreamless sleep, in a bed he recognized wasn't his own. His body was aching all over, as if he had been running for decades. The last thing he remembered was the appearance of the menos during the field exercise. Where were the others? Were they safe? Kisuke did not know. Come to think of it, he wasn't in a room he was familiar with. He groggily stood up, pain shot through his entire body. He limply walked towards the window and looked outside… he was in the main building of the academy. He sighed in relief, so he was back in Soul Society. Kisuke pushed himself to walk towards the door, only to trip and fall… but amazingly, someone caught him. 

"Y-yorouichi?" mumbled Kisuke. He tried to stand on his own but Yorouichi held him in place. Kisuke's arm was draped across her shoulders and she was supporting him by holding onto his waist. Kisuke suddenly felt his cheeks burn. He has never been this close (distance-wise) to Yorouichi before. He unknowingly blushed at the sudden contact.

"Kisuke! You shouldn't be moving around yet! The doctor said you needed to get more rest since you lost a lot of reiatsu!" scolded Yorouichi. Kisuke noticed that she too, was a little red in the face.

"Err… Sorry…" muttered Kisuke. Yorouichi smelled like flowers, freshly picked flowers from a field. Wait, why did he smell her anyway? And why did he think of flowers?! Kisuke snapped out of his delusions and lunged forward and landed painfully on the bed.

"Seriously! I go out for a few seconds and already you're making a fuss! Lie still why don't you?" said Yorouichi. She was in a rather foul mood, Kisuke noticed.

"Yorouichi, what happened during the field exercise?" asked Kisuke. Yorouichi took a seat at the stool next to Kisuke's bed.

"You almost got your ass erased by a menos! That's what happened!"

"The menos was about to fire a cero at Kyouraku and I went in front if him… I'm alive… How did that happen?" asked a very puzzled Kisuke

"Before the Cero even hit you, you were suddenly surrounded by a bright red light and the cero bounced off and hit the menos. The menos was severely injured, it escaped and you passed out soon afterwards." Explained Yorouichi.

"Oh… I see…"

"'Oh I see?' that's the only thing you're going to say?!!"

"What's with you huh? Why are you so pissed at me? What did I do to you?"

"I was so worried about you! You jerk! I thought you were going to die… I…" Tears were beginning to form around the edge of Yorouichi's eyes. Kisuke sighed. He didn't want to see her like this. He reached out and closed his hand on hers as she looked back at him.

"No need to worry. I'm here aren't I? I'm tougher than I look, see?" Kisuke stared directly into her eyes and felt himself leaning closer towards her face.

"Kisuke…" Yorouichi closed her eyes and sensed Kisuke's warm breath closing in on her lips.

"Oi Kisuke! You're awake!" yelled Isshin, Kisuke and Yorouichi instantly broke away from their current position and both of them blushed like crazy.

"Isshin! It's rude to suddenly bust in!" Unohana Retsu smacked on the Isshin on the head and the poor guy clutched his aching head tightly.

"Ow that hurt Retsu!" whined Isshin

"Serves you right for not knocking! Sorry about that you guys…" said Retsu as she winked at the two.

"So! How are the others?" said Kisuke, brushing off Retsu's knowing look.

"They're fine. Those two fifth year girls are in the room next to yours. They've already been healed." Said Isshin.

"What about Ukitake and Kyouraku?"

"They're in the headmaster's office explaining. What was that red light thingy you did back there Kisuke? A destructive art? That was really cool!"

"I… don't know what that was… I sorta blanked out after that… I couldn't even remember what happened…"

"But it's a good thing you're okay though… We were really worried about you." Said Retsu. There was a short knock on the door as it opened and revealed Ukitake, Kyouraku following behind him.

"Do you mind if we come in?" asked Ukitake.

"Sure…" said Kisuke. Ukitake entered the room with a smile on his face while Kyouraku looked intently on the floor.

"Urahara, Shunsui has something he wants to tell you…"

"No I don't! You're the one who dragged me here!"

"Oh come on don't be like that! That's not what we talked about!" said Ukitake

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" stuttered Kyouraku. Kisuke watched the two bicker with each other with confused looks in their faces.

"Err… Sempai?"

"E-ehem… Oh right. Shunsui! Just say it. You do owe him…"

"Him? Who?" Isshin's question was answered when Shunsui stepped closer to Kisuke and bowed to him.

"Thankyouforsavingme!" he said hurriedly.

"What? I didn't quite catch that."

"T-thanks, for what you did earlier. If it wasn't for you I would have been dead by now." Said Shunsui, this time sounding more sincere.

"Oh that? No biggie. As long as everyone's safe and sound, that's all that matters." Said Kisuke as he smiled at him.

"So does that mean you're pranking days are over? To me at least…"

"Sure… Maybe… Heehee…"

"Kisuke, why don't you guys shake on it or something? To make your truce official." Suggested Yorouichi. Kisuke sighed and extended his hand to Shunsui. He hesitantly shook it. At first he thought Urahara was this bratty kid who lacked attention and who thought he was better than everyone else. But now his opinion of him has changed. For the better of course!

* * *

A week after the menos incident, Kisuke was back to his feet, with his reiatsu back and all. Kisuke and his friends find themselves spending more and more time with the two fifth years, Ukitake Jushiro and Kyouraku Shunsui. Turns out, the two were really fun to hang out with. Although Shunsui and Kisuke did argue most of the time, but at least Kisuke wasn't pulling pranks on him anymore. It was a normal Monday afternoon; the group was having their lunch on their usual spot, the sakura tree situated in the cliff behind the academy's old building. 

"I envy you Jushiro-sempai… In a year you'll be graduating!" said Retsu as she took a bite from her sandwich.

"Yeah I'm really excited! Next year, we'll have the zanpakutou training!" said Jushiro

"Hey can I ask you something Jushiro-sempai?" asked Kisuke. Kuukaku who sat beside him, was holding unto his arm.

"Hey! How come when you call Jushiro 'sempai' and not me?" Kyouraku addressed Kisuke.

"It's because he's a respectable guy."

"Why I oughta…"

"What is it Kisuke-kun?" Jushiro placed a hand on Kyouraku's shoulder to prevent him from jumping at Kisuke.

"Is it possible… To materialize your zanpakutou without proper training?" asked Kisuke as he wore a serious expression.

"There hasn't been anything like that from what I recall. But I think it's a possibility. Why do you ask?"

"Oh uhh…nothing… Hehe…" Kisuke had been meaning to ask someone about it… ever since that day.

"I think we're missing someone… Hmm…" Isshin's question was answered by a painful smack to his head.

"You forgot about me again! Kisuke darling! How could you just leave me like that???" complained Kuukaku as she jumped to Kisuke's unwilling arms. Yorouichi's eyebrows twitched.

"Oh I forgot something!" said Ukitake suddenly. Everyone's eyes turned to him.

"What did you forget Jushiro-sempai?" asked Retsu

"Oh yeah… the class…" said Kyouraku

"Kyouraku and I are supposed to handle an advanced freshmen class and I need some volunteers to help me… So I was wondering if any of you guys would be interested?" The group turned silent. When no one seemed to volunteer he added, "You'll be given allowance?"

"Me!" a flurry of 'me's' and hand raisings erupted. Money is indeed a truly powerful object.

"I only need two though…" said Jushiro

"How about me and Retsu then? We're great with kids! Right, Retsu?" Isshin put a hand around her shoulder, which she painfully slapped away.

"I can't… I'm part of the library committee remember?"

"Then I'll do it! Me and my darling Kisuke! Is there a closet nearby where I can lock Kisuke in?" said Kuukaku as she winked at Kisuke. Chills ran down Kisuke's spine. Kuukaku almost raped him when they were accidentally locked in a storage room. He could still remember the look of anger spread on Yorouichi's face.

"Err I'm sorry to say this Kuukaku but this is an advanced freshman class and no offense, but you're grades are really low…" said Jushiro in the most polite way possible.

"But…!"

"I think I'll go with Kisuke and Yorouichi then!"

"Ehhh? But Yorouichi doesn't need the money! She's a noble!" exclaimed Isshin

"I wanna do it! Sounds interesting!" said a very excited Yorouichi. Kisuke turned to her in surprise.

"You? What do you need the money for?"

"Well you know… I just wanted to experience earning money on my own, Is that so wrong?"

"It's decided then! We'll meet later at the east building's training center." Isshin and Kuukaku both let out a deep sigh of frustration. Kisuke noticed behind them that a tall man wearing a cloak was making his way towards them.

"Hey… Who's that?" said Kyouraku as he too, noticed the man's presence.

"Yorouichi…" the man's voice was deep and cool. Yorouichi jumped in surprise at the mention of her name.

"I-is that you? Touya?" Yorouichi stood up and walked towards the cloaked man. He took of his cloak and everyone was stunned to see a young man, wearing clothes of such elegance. He had to be someone of high stature. He had shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. Retsu and Kuukaku's eyes were focused on him as the boys glared at him.

"Yorouichi, I was told I'd find you here." The brown haired noble walked closer to Yorouichi, took her hand and gently kissed it. Everyone's eyes widened in shock. Kisuke looked the most shocked out of them.

"E-e-erm… Uhh…" Yorouichi was at a loss for words. She didn't think he'd come visit her at the academy. And not even once did it cross her mind that he would do something like that in front of her friends!

"Yorouichi, why not introduce me to your companions?"

"O-oh! R-right… Hehe… This is Nakatsu Touya." Stuttered Yorouichi. Touya bowed to the others.

"I am Yorouichi's betrothed." Spoke Touya.

"EEHHH?!!" exclaimed Retsu and Jushiro. Kuukaku, Isshin and Kyouraku had confused looks on their faces. Kisuke simply crossed his arms.

"What's a be-throat anyway?" said Isshin. "Yeah? What did he mean by that?" added Kuukaku and Kyouraku. Retsu and Jushiro sighed.

"It's betrothed! It means they're engaged!" explained Jushiro

"Oh… WHAT?!!!!"

"Yorouichi-chan, you never mentioned this to us before…" said Retsu.

"Our engagement was just made final last week. Yorouichi must have found it difficult to tell her friends about something, needless to say, embarrassing for someone of her age." Said Touya.

"Y-yeah… I was embarrassed to tell you guys… Sorry. Touya this is Unohana Retsu…" Yorouichi introduced everyone one by one, and they all shook hands with the handsome noble.

"a-and this is Urahara Kisuke…" Yorouichi spoke in such a low voice this time that it was barely audible.

"What was your name again?" asked Touya as he offered his hand.

"It's Urahara Kisuke, and don't ever forget it." Said Kisuke as he took his hand and crushed it, err…shook it.

* * *

"Kisuke-kun, thanks again for agreeing to do this…" said Jushiro. Classes were over and they were currently at the training center waiting for the freshmen for the advanced training sessions. The chosen freshmen, five in total, were eventually bound to be members of the student council and eventually, seated officers in the gotei 13. Kisuke himself was chosen in his freshman year, but the latter politely refused the offer because 1.) He had to stay for extra hours 2.) He wouldn't be able to devise ways on how to irritate Kyouraku 3.) His pranking moments with Yorouichi would be cut in half. And finally, 4.) He wasn't the type to attend such trivial things. He agreed to do this 'trivial' thing for the pure purpose of earning extra cash. He had been rather short on cash these past couple of weeks since he has been purchasing more materials for his inventions. 

"It's no big deal Jushiro-sempai… Sharing my talents to these freshmen seems like a noble thing to do…"

"Yeah right…" snorted Yorouichi.

"I'm still not talking to you!" snapped Kisuke. Jushiro, who sat in between the two, found himself in the middle of trouble.

"Why are you mad at me anyways! You haven't told me the reason yet!"

"I'm not telling! You should figure that out on your own!"

"Err… Guys? This is going to be a one on one tutorial okay?" said Jushiro, although the two didn't seem to hear him. A geeky boy with dark brown wavy hair and glasses shyly entered the room and took a seat.

"Oh hey there Sou-kun. So you're going to be a tutor huh? That's a surprise…." Said Kyouraku as he waved at the boy. Yorouichi and Kisuke continued arguing.

"I need the extra money…" said the boy as he opened a book and covered his face with it.

"For your research?"

"Yeah… Those two over there, are they going to be tutors too?" asked the bespectacled boy as he looked up from his book and looked at Kisuke and Yorouichi's direction.

"Uh-huh… Oh you haven't met them yet. You two! This is Aizen Sousuke, he's a fifth year like us and these two are…"

"Urahara and Shihouin, I know them. They're quite popular in the academy…" said Aizen.

"We're popular? Really?"

"Of course you are you jerk! You're a troublemaker!" said Kyouraku.

"The freshmen are here!" and true enough the five freshmen entered the training room. Kisuke and Yorouichi glared at each other as they stood up and stayed as far away from each other as possible.

"Hey everyone! I'm Ukitake Jushiro, student council president. This training session is going to be one-on-one. We'll be teaching you advanced demon arts, zanjutsu, and history. The sessions will be conducted three times a week until the end of the school year. Next year though, all of you would be working under the junior council members. Yes any questions?" when Jushiro didn't see any raised hands, he continued; "Okay then! Today we'll begin with demon arts!" Kisuke yelled 'great!' inside his head. Demon arts were his expertise, but then again he was good at everything but demon arts interested him the most, aside from inventing of course. The tutors were paired up with their student. Jushiro with a loud, bouncy girl (who, Kisuke thought, had the biggest breasts he's ever seen.), Kyouraku with a bossy girl with glasses, Aizen and a boy with a fox-like grin and slits for eyes, Yorouichi with a handsome young man with black hair who exuded such noble grace. And Kisuke was paired with a boy with blue green hair, who seemed to be star-stricken the instant he saw Kisuke.

"You mind performing destructive art number 31 for me? Err…?" the boy was still staring at Kisuke, his mouth wide open.

"Oh s-sorry… it's just that… I'm a big fan of yours Sir!"

"No need to call me 'Sir'… And you're a fan of mine because…?" Even after three years in the academy, Kisuke still had no idea how popular he really was.

"You're a genius! You're an expert in demon arts and zanjutsu! I've seen your inventions in the science lab and they were really cool! Especially that reiatsu meter you made for the gotei 13 that was awesome! I want to be like you, sempai!" said the excited freshman.

"Really? Wow… Know what? I think you're my favorite fan! Hehe…"

"Kid… are you really sure you wanna be like this guy? Don't you know he's the biggest loser in the academy?" interrupted Yorouichi, who was leaning on a wall a few meters across Kisuke with her arms and legs crossed and watching her student perform a demon art before her.

"And I'm a loser because…?"

"Because you won't tell me why you're mad at me!!!" yelled Yorouichi. Everyone in the room turned silent and was now focused on the arguing duo. Jushiro sighed in defeat. Isshin and Retsu were right; Kisuke and Yorouichi were unstoppable when they argue.

"I'm still not telling!"

"Why the hell not?!!"

"Because! You should know the reason!"

"Damn it I don't! That's why I'm asking!" The screams and yells were now becoming intense. Jushiro and Kyouraku didn't know what to do.

"You really don't know??!"

"I don't!"

"Argh! You are too damn dense Shihouin!"

"Tell me already Urahara!"

"Because I was jealous okay?!" with that said Kisuke dashed out of the room and slammed the door on his way out.

"Jealous? Of what?"

next chapter… more of Kisuke's jealousy… and yorouichi's naiveté.

* * *

a/n: Sorry for the very long update… please don't hate me!!!! I'll make it up to you guys I pwomise! So can anyone guess who the five freshmen were? Whoever gets it right will receive… A smiley! Like this one "-". Reviews please? THANK YOU! 


	8. Chapter 8

a/n: Hakuda hand-to-hand combat

Zanjutsu Swordsmanship

Kido Demon Arts

Hoho step method (shunpo)

Tensai genius

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Kisuke almost tripped on a tree root when fortunately for him, he was able to hold on to something, he grabbed unto the fence. He had been running around all over the academy looking for a safe place to hide. He ran for his life and made his way to their usual hang-out place. He hoped that maybe the kid didn't know about this place. When he got there he found Isshin and Retsu eating their lunch together. He landed on the ground next to them, panting.

"Kisuke! There you are! We haven't seen you all day!" said Isshin as he sprayed bits of rice unto Kisuke's tired face.

"Is that kid giving you a hard time?" asked Retsu as Kisuke nodded and sat himself and he brushed off the grains.

"He just won't quit following me! He asks me a lot of questions whenever he sees me!" Kisuke grabbed one of Isshin's rice balls and consumed it in two angry bites.

"That kid's in love with you Kisuke! I think it's really cute…" teased Isshin. Retsu kept herself from laughing.

"Cute?! You call that cute! It's annoying! I wish I could transport him in a faraway land or something!" said a very flustered Kisuke.

"You're his idol! Of course he's gonna want to spend some time with you. That's how kids his age are you know…" said Isshin

"Remember back when we were freshmen? Isshin really idolized our sensei in Hand-to-hand combat. He followed her all the time too. But Isshin doesn't do that anymore does he? I'm sure Mayuri-kun would grow out of his obsession…" said Retsu

"Retsu! You told me that last year too! But he still hasn't grown out of it! And the only reason Isshin stalked sensei was because she was hot!"

"Kisuke! Sshh!" Isshin turned to look at Retsu, she was glaring at him.

"What was that… Isshin?" asked Retsu. Isshin gulped in fear…

"R-retsu I uhmm…" stuttered Isshin

"Err… Sorry buddy… my tongue slipped…hehe…" Kisuke laughed nervously. Retsu was a kind and gentle girl but when she was mad, she becomes a different person. Before he would be caught in the middle of the two, Kisuke hastily stood up. "So uhh… I'll be going then. Later!" Kisuke ran as fast as he could away from Retsu. She was too damn scary whenever she got mad. He only hoped though that his bestfriend would come out of this one alive. Kisuke's feet had carried him to the academy's cafeteria. He looked around for people he could score free food from. Shiba Kaien ate with his girlfriend Miyako, holding hands and stuff. He couldn't possibly invade on their private time, plus, he wasn't really close with Kaien. Then a few tables from Kaien he saw Aizen Sousuke, having lunch with his second year protégé, Ichimaru Gin and a third year student who he only knew by name, Tousen Kaname. But then again, Kisuke couldn't possibly ask Aizen for food, he was a sempai he respected and it would be too awkward. He looked again for people he knew. Nothing. He was about to give up on lunch when something, or rather, someone caught his eyes. Yorouichi…

It had been almost a year since they have grown apart. Ever since Yorouichi was engaged, she spent less time with him and their friends and whenever they would spend time together, it ended up with a nasty argument between them and as time passed, the two saw each other only in class. He wouldn't openly admit it to Isshin and the others but he was missing her terribly. He would always think of her, and when she would pop into his mind, he shrugged it off by keeping himself busy with his inventions. These days, Yorouichi would often be seen spending time with Kuchiki Byakuya, a second year student who was taught by Yorouichi in last year's advance freshmen class, and Nanao Ise, also a second year, and Kotetsu Isane, a third year. Yorouichi laughed heartily along with her new circle of friends as her now long hair swayed gracefully. Kisuke's heart sank Yorouichi had grown twice more beautiful. He suddenly had flashbacks of all the times she's laughed with him during lunch breaks and how her then short hair would sway along. Sighing to himself he exited the cafeteria, not knowing that Yorouichi's eyes had been on him too.

Yorouichi's fiancé Touya, had told her parents about the friends she hung out with at school, and when they found out that some of her friends were from Ryukongai, her parents were outraged. A noble like her should not be seen with interacting with commoners. From then on, she distanced herself from Kisuke, Isshin, Retsu even though it pained her. She sometimes spent time with some of her noble friends, Ukitake, Kyouraku, and even Kuukaku, but after a few months, she grew apart from them as well, because they were close friends with Kisuke, he didn't want to meet with Kisuke and the others, they must have been mad at her. The last time she had talked to them was three months ago. The start of their fourth year at the academy. There was a group study that day and they were to report their topic in front of the class, and she had been grouped with Kisuke, Isshin and Retsu.

_**(Flashback)**_

"Urahara, Kurosaki, Unohana and Shihouin! You'll be group number three!" called the sensei. Isshin exchanged looks with Kisuke and Retsu.

"With Yorouichi huh? This is going to be awkward!" whispered Isshin to Retsu as she nodded in agreement. Kisuke, grudgingly stood up from his seat, as he dragged Isshin from his chair. Retsu followed behind them. They pulled some chairs and grouped themselves at the far back of the classroom. Yorouichi made her way towards the three, as she pulled up a chair and sat next to Retsu.

"Hi…" she greeted. Isshin simply nodded at her while Kisuke crossed his arms and looked away from her.

"Hello. Now then, I think we should start." Said Retsu. Her greeting had a hint of sarcasm. "Kisuke-kun, I assume you'll be the leader?"

"Naturally. What's our report about?" he asked. Retsu handed him an open textbook as he scanned through the entire page. " 'The four forms of combat used by Shinigami.' That's it? But this is too easy. Retsu, are you sure this is the one?" Kisuke said.

"The report serves as a review; the sensei is just trying to test if we still remember this stuff…" said Yorouichi.

" I wasn't talking to you." Kisuke told her. Yorouichi got pissed at Kisuke but she chose to ignore him. Isshin felt the tension between the two.

"Each of us should discuss a form of combat since there are four of us." Yorouichi suddenly suggested.

"Well duh! We're not stupid you know…" retorted Kisuke. A vein was beginning to form on Yorouichi's forehead. She wanted to smack Kisuke right in the face for being such a jerk.

"So uhmm… Let's divide the topics then! Kisuke-kun..." Retsu said.

"Isshin will discuss Hakuda, Retsu will discuss Kido, I will discuss Zanjutsu, and Miss Noble here will discuss Hoho. Agreed?" when they all nodded, Kisuke added; "Then start reading on your topics." Isshin and Retsu opened their textbooks and started reading. Yorouichi glared at Kisuke first before opening her textbook. After a couple of minutes, Kisuke spoke.

"Aren't you guys done yet?" asked Kisuke, who was growing impatient.

" Almost! Sorry Kisuke, we're not a tensai like you. Us normal folks have to read a couple of times…" said Isshin. His bestfriend was in a really bad mood. He guessed it was probably because of Yorouichi's presence.

"I'm done." Said Yorouichi. Retsu and Isshin stared at her in surprise; Yorouichi wasn't exactly a bookish person.

"Let's hear it then." Said Kisuke.

"Hoho is a movement and evasion technique that basically concerns foot work. Hoho involves certain techniques such as flash step or shunpo, which allows the shinigami to move faster, and the ability to walk on air by using spiritual power. By collecting spirit particles and…"

"That stuff you just said, that's common knowledge! Even a freshman would know that!" Kisuke said

"Of course this is just the introduction!" defended Yorouichi. Isshin and Retsu looked up from their books and watched as the two began to bicker.

"Your introduction is wrong then! Hoho is not just about the foot work!" said Kisuke.

"I've had it with you! Why are you picking on me?!" the vein on Yorouichi's forehead finally popped.

"Are you stupid? You should know the answer to that!" said Kisuke, his voice growing louder.

"How dare you call me stupid!"

"You deserve to be called that way!"

"Is it because I've stopped hanging out with you? Well let me tell you, Urahara Kisuke. That a person of such high noble stature like me should not be mingling with a meer commoner like you!" Of course, she didn't want to say that. He was a very important friend to her! But things would be easier if Kisuke hated her. Yorouichi couldn't bring herself to disobey her parents' orders.

"Oh I see! It all makes sense now! My deepest apologies, Shihouin-sama for forcing you to hang out with me! Don't worry! I won't bother you ever again! I'm just a lowly commoner after all!" Kisuke strode out of the classroom. The whole room had turned quiet. Yorouichi simply took her seat once again. She had to look high and mighty and so she did.

From then on she wore a mask for everyone to see, a mask that had nobility written all over it. But what they didn't know was underneath that mask, she was hurting.

* * *

"Do you understand, Urahara?" Sasakibe-sensei had asked Kisuke to his office, he had been skipping school a lot lately.

"Huh?" Kisuke hadn't really been paying attention. Unknown to the sensei, he had ear phones on both ears, which of course, he made himself. Kisuke had been recently fascinated with human world technology.

"Urahara, you're a really good student. You're always at the top of your class, and you may even be brighter than most of the seniors! Don't waste your talents Urahara. Just because you get easily bored with the lessons, doesn't mean you can skip class! Coming to class on time is a must if you really want to become a shinigami!"

"Yes sir…" he replied, while trying his best to stifle his yawn. The reason he'd been skipping class? Simple. He currently found it boring. While his classmates had been struggling to keep up with the intensified training, the training was too easy for him. The spells that his classmates were learning, he already knew how to do them. Class had become boring to him, and Kisuke knew that it wasn't just because of the training, it was because of her.

"Urahara, if you really find the academy boring then maybe… I could vouch for you so you'd be allowed to take the shinigami entrance exams." Said Sasakibe

"But don't you need to complete all 6 years at the academy to take the test?"

"Yes but… They could probably make an exception for you. You're the academy's top student after all. I'm sure you're capable of passing the test."

"Are you serious, sensei?"

"Well… I may have to discuss this with the sou-taichou first. If he approves, you'd be allowed to take the test. What do you say Urahara?"

"Sensei… I'll think about it…" said Kisuke as he bowed and left his office. Should he take the test and graduate two years earlier? That sounded really appealing to him. No more teachers, no more crazy juniors, and no more boring classes. And if he passed the test, he would become a shinigami. That's what he wanted right? But if he did graduate then, he wouldn't be able to hang out with Isshin and the others anymore. Did he really want that? Graduating would mean that he wouldn't be attending the academy anymore which would equal to, not being near her.

But wait, why was he thinking of her anyway? Yorouichi was surely not thinking of him. She was now a stuck up noble after all. She wouldn't give a damn if ever he did graduate earlier. Kisuke shrugged these thoughts off his mind as he strolled along the grounds of the academy. He was thinking of cutting classes today again, but before he could put it into action, someone had tapped him on the back.

"Kisuke-kun!" It was Ukitake Jushiro, Now a sixth year.

"Jushiro-sempai. What's up?"

"Can I ask a favor?" he asked.

"Depends on what the favor is! What is it sempai?"

"It's the freshmen's field exercises tomorrow and I was assigned to preside. But unfortunately I can't, the 6th years are having a mock test today…" explained Ukitake

"…and so…?"

"Maybe you could take my place? It's just basic stuff. You just have to stand-by in case the freshmen have troubles with the hollows."

"What's in it for me?" said Kisuke. Ukitake sighed. He was thinking that since they had become good friends, Kisuke would consider doing him a favor for free. But then again, doing a favor for free would not be like Urahara Kisuke at all.

"Hmm well… you'll be paid and… Let's see…. Ah! If you do this then I'll exempt you from your tutoring duties for this week! With allowance of course…"

"Really? Yey! Then I'll do it!" Kisuke almost leapt in joy. At least he would be able to stay away from Kurotsuchi, even if it would only be for a week.

"Great! Tomorrow, okay? Don't be late! Later, Kisuke-kun!" Jushiro waved goodbye to the blond genius as he dashed off into the main building.

* * *

"Binding Spell number 61! Six Rods Prison of Light!" six thin beams of light thrust into the middle of a tree trunk that Kisuke was practicing unto. Isshin watched in astonishment. Retsu was watching too, but she returned to read her book soon after the spell was done. Beside her was Kuukaku, sleeping on the soft grass and snoring like there was no tomorrow. They were currently hanging out at the school grounds. A couple of students were staring at Kisuke in awe.

"Kisuke! That was amazing! And without the incantation too! If only you could take the practical test for me… Sigh…" said Isshin. Kisuke sat down, and the students who had been watching began to disperse.

"It's really quite simple Isshin. Practice makes perfect after all." Said Kisuke

"You're an exception though… First time you tried that spell, you were able to do it already…"

"True… But I'm having Kido problems too you know…" said Kisuke. Retsu looked up from the book she was reading. Kisuke, having problems with Kido? That was definitely something new.

"Really? What spell?" Retsu asked in curiosity.

"Binding spells number 90 to 99. See this cut on my arm? I tried doing number 91 yesterday…" said Kisuke as he showed them a rather deep cut in his left arm.

"Aww, that looks painful!" said Isshin

"90-99 binding spells are only taught to Shinigami… and not just any Shinigami, but seated officers in the Gotei 13! How were you able to do it?!" demanded Retsu. Of course, she knew Kisuke was special. But still, she was really impressed.

"Well I practiced… But it came with a price though! My poor arm…" Kisuke began caressing his injured arm.

"That's Kisuke for ya! Haha. Oh hey! Have you decided yet?" asked Isshin

"About me taking the test? Not yet… It sounds really appealing but… I don't know… Hmm…"

"You have to decide soon Kisuke-kun. You have to give Sasakibe-sensei your answer tomorrow right?" said Retsu

"Yeah… Well what do you guys think I should do?"

"Kisuke darling! You shouldn't take the test!" said Kuukaku. She was half awake and mumbling in her sleep.

"Er… How about you then, Isshin? Retsu?" he asked. Kisuke had been changing his mind after every 10 minutes.

"Dude! You gotta take it! Its two years off training! If you passed, which I'm sure you will, then you won't have to be a student anymore!"

"Yeah… That's what I've been thinking… But… I dunno…"

"Kisuke-kun just do what you think will make you happier."

"Thanks Retsu…" Kisuke lied down the grass and closed his eyes. He was deep in thought.

"Is it just me, or are those two headed for us?" Retsu spoke. Kisuke opened his eyes and sat up. Two second years were making their way towards them.

"Isn't that…?" A tall young man with shoulder length hair and a young woman with long braided hair and glasses stood in front of them.

"Urahara-sempai, we need to discuss something with you." Said the young woman.

"Ise? Can you just tell me later? I'm deep in thought here…" said Kisuke as he lied down once more.

"This can't wait, sempai…" she said.

"This is really urgent." Said the young man, who turned out to be Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Fine, fine… what's it about?"

"It's about Yorouichi-sempai…" said Nanao

"So? What about her?" Kisuke said, in his most uncaring voice.

"She's going to get married tomorrow."

* * *

a/n: sorry the update took sooooooo long… had a really long major writer's block… So? Was it good? Or was it terribly bad? Let me know by reviewing… Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Just shoot kido number 31 in the air when you get into trouble okay? I'll come running!" Kisuke spoke enthusiastically.

"Hai!" exclaimed the female first years, who looked at Kisuke with hearts in their eyes and blushes on their cheeks.

"Okay then! Off you go! Take care!" Kisuke waved them off as the three female freshmen made their way to the assigned post.

"Good work Urahara. You sure know how to handle the first years. And it seems to me you're quite popular with them aren't ya! Stud!" said Shiba Kaien, a fifth year student who also volunteered to support the freshmen field exercises

"Yeah… I'm great with kids." He said with a smile.

"Haha... If my sister saw those girls flirting with you, I'm sure she'd rip their heads off..." said Kaien

"Yeah... Kuukaku's quite a handful..." replied Kisuke

"So... I know my sister likes you and all... but how about you?" asked Kaien

"Well... Kuukaku's a really great friend..." he said... just loud enough for himself to hear, as he drank from his water bottle.

"I heard that... And it's no big deal really... Then is it Shihouin?" he inquired

Kisuke, surprised by Kaien's question, spurted out the water he was drinking. "Excuse me?!" he said.

"Shihouin! You like her don't you?" insisted Kaien, nudging Kisuke on the ribs.

"No... not err... really..." he answered stuttering a bit as he looked away from Kaien and took another swig from his water bottle.

"I see...That Shihouin… she's really a good support. I remember the last time she was on duty…" Kaien rambled on about something, Kisuke wasn't really paying attention. He cursed Kaien silently, damn him for mentioning her name! Now he couldn't get her out of his thoughts again. Shihouin Yorouichi... his former best friend... who was getting married today... TODAY!

(Flashback)

"She's going to get married today?!" asked a very surprised Isshin

"Yes…" said Nanao

"But…why?" Retsu asked. She was just as surprised as Isshin was. "I thought they were to be married after Yorouichi's graduation from the academy?"

"That was the plan… But Yorouichi-sempai's father, has grown ill again, and it looks really serious this time. The other Shihouin family members decided that it was best that they get married as soon as possible, In case Yorouichi-sempai's father falls to the illness…" explained Nanao, a second year student, and a friend of Yorouichi.

"I see…" said Retsu

"I know that the three of you, must have had hard feelings on Yorouichi-sempai this past couple of months, but please… Don't let her go through this!"

"Yorouichi-san… when she was told about her sudden wedding, she was… distraught…" added Kuchiki Byakuya, also a second year and Yorouichi's acquaintance.

"She did…? Then… We should stop her from marrying! It's pretty obvious that she's not in love with that guy!" exclaimed Isshin as he abruptly stood up.

"Calm down Isshin... Even if we try to stop her, if she has really decided on marrying then it has got nothing to do with us..." said Kisuke as he turned to walk away.

"She's just forcing herself to marry that guy! As her friends, shouldn't we keep her best interests at heart?" said Isshin. He grabbed Kisuke's arm.

"Ha! Friend?" He said, his voice louder, and angry-sounding. "Isshin, she hasn't spoken to us in months! And you still consider her our friend?" Kisuke shrugged Isshin's arm away.

"It was only because of that fiancé of hers that she avoided us! Kisuke, you of all people should be able to understand how she really feels!" at Isshin's words, Kisuke kept silent. He felt a sharp numbing pain in his chest.

"Kisuke-kun... You might be mad at Yorouichi... But we know very well, how much you actually care about her..." said Retsu

"..." Kisuke was still silent, his face expressionless.

"Even if she really has decided to go through the wedding... I'm sure this is hurting her... And I don't like to admit it but... Isshin is right... We should stop her from doing this... As her friends..." said Retsu

"Hey!" called Isshin, as Retsu stared at him with eyes that said: "Shut it." Isshin closed his mouth and stood stiffly.

"Urahara-sempai, we've tried talking her out of this, but she didn't listen to us... You might be the only one who will make her change her mind..." said Nanao, as Byakuya nodded in agreement.

"I have to go... I'm taking Jushiro-san's place in the field exercises today..." said Kisuke, as he walked away from them, not looking back.

"Oi! Kisuke!"

(End of Flashback)

* * *

"Urahara-sempai! We were able to exterminate the dummy hollows in section 3!" said one of the three female freshmen.

"Good job! I hope you guys weren't too scared?" he asked.

"It was scary at first... but because we knew that you'd come for us in case we couldn't handle them, we weren't too scared!" squealed the other girl.

"Aww that's sweet!! You're making me blush!" said Kisuke as he fooled around with the girls.

"Urahara! Open the gate!" ordered Kaien. Kisuke excused himself from the girls as he walked towards Kaien. He began chanting as the gate to Soul Society opened before them. The first years entered the portal, as the support team followed behind them. The portal was dark, but thankfully short. After a couple of minutes, they were all back at the academy's grounds.

"First Years, listen up! The results of your field exercises will be posted tomorrow. Dismissed!" the first years nodded at the upperclassmen as they began to slowly disperse.

"Shiba-sempai... I'll be going now!" called Kisuke

"Yeah! Thanks for helping out today!" replied Kaien as he waved at Kisuke. Kisuke then started walking across the grounds. Since he was excused from his classes today, there was no point in staying at the academy, so he decided to head home. But before he could do so, A curly haired student, accompanied by a white-haired one, called him from behind.

"Urahara!"

"Shunsui? Jushiro-sempai? I was just about to go home... How did your tests go?" asked Kisuke, as he playfully messed with Shunsui's hair

"Oi! Quit it!" Shunsui slapped his hand away as Kisuke sniggered.

"The tests were okay. It was a bit hard but, I think we'll make it. But wait, why are you going home?" asked Ukitake

"Huh? Well I'm excused from classes anyway... there's no point in staying at school and wait for the others..."

"No... What I mean is... Why are you not going after them?" said Ukitake. And when Kisuke looked curiously at him, Shunsui spoke.

"Isshin and the others went to stop Yorouichi's wedding..."

"What? They did? But that's..."

"They left us a message saying they were going to the Shihouin mansion. Shunsui and I were just about to go and join them..." explained Ukitake

"Seriously those guys! What the hell were they thinking!"

"No... The question should be... 'What the hell are YOU thinking?'" said Ukitake. Kisuke looked taken aback.

"Aren't you supposed to be smart? Then shouldn't you have been the first one to go and stop the wedding?" said Kyouraku

"Why would I do that? If Yorouichi wants to get married to that guy then it's none of my business... It shouldn't be your business too!" he said, in his most uncaring voice.

"You're really stubborn aren't ya! Fine! We'll leave you. But don't come crying to us later when Yorouichi's already married!" said Kyouraku as he dragged Ukitake with him and left the school grounds.

"I'm doing the right thing... Right?" Kisuke mumbled to himself as he too, left the academy.

* * *

"Hey but we're friends of hers! I'm sure if you told her about us, she'd tell you to let us in!" said Isshin as he moved closer to the Guard of the Shihouin Mansion's gate, as if threatening him.

"Your names are not on the list! And even if they were, I wouldn't let you Ryukongai kids inside the mansion!" said the guard as he pushed Isshin away. Retsu helped him to his feet.

"I am Kuchiki Byakuya, member if the higher nobility. I, at least, should be allowed inside, don't you think?" said Byakuya, as he glared at the guard.

"H-hai! Kuchiki-sama! Please come in!" the guard opened the gate, and motioned Byakuya to enter. Byakuya has been inside the Shihouin mansion a couple of times.

"Byakuya-kun!" called Nanao

"I'll try to persuade her one more time. You should just wait here, for the time being..." said Byakuya as he entered the mansion and the gate closed behind him

"What are we going to do? We can't just wait here! What if Kuchiki won't be able to persuade her!"

"Isshin, if we force our way inside, the guards might catch us!" said Retsu

"So what? We'll just beat them up!" said Isshin

"It's not that simple! They might report this to the academy and we'll be expelled!" said Nanao. The gate opened once more, and a middle-aged woman stepped out.

"You are Yorouichi-sama's friends from the academt right? I am Takiko, her servant..." said the woman

"Where is she?" Isshin quickly asked.

"Yoroucihi-sama is preparing for the ceremony... It is about to begin. She's decided to marry but, I know that she does not want to do it. Please stop her!" she begged

"That's what we came here for after all! But how can we get in...?" asked Isshin. Takiko moved closer to him and handed a piece of paper. Isshin opened it and his eyes widened in surprise.

"This is..!"

"It's a map of the underground secret passage that leads right into the mansion. There are two entrances, one is on the far right side of the main gate and the other one is on the far left side, but the right one is blocked by a powerful kido spell that the Shihouin family made. If you can't break the spell, then use the other entrance but that one takes longer... I am sorry but this is the only way I can help... Excuse me..." Takiko bowed at them as she entered the mansion. The guard then appeared at the gate once more.

"You kids are still here? Get out!" he bellowed. They didn't need telling twice as they moved away from the gate.

"Should we try breaking the kido spell or should we just enter through the left entrance?" asked Nanao as Retsu took the map from Isshin and examined it.

"We'll try to break the spell since that entrance will get us inside quicker..." said Retsu. Isshin and Nanao nodded as they headed towards the right side of the gate. They then saw weird burn marks on the wall, indicating that this was the secret passage. Retsu moved closer and touched the markings; the markings disappeared as a tunnel opened.

"Nice one Retsu! You did it!" cheered Isshin.

"No I didn't do anything yet..."

"Maybe because it was already open to begin with..." said a voice from behind them as they turned to look.

"Jushiro-sempai! Shunsui-sempai!" called Retsu as the two walked towards them.

"So you got our message then? Great! Let's get going! It's a good thing the tunnel's already open!" The five of them entered the dark tunnel. Retsu and Ukitake summoned a small flame-like kido spell in their hands. They walked through the tunnel cautiously.

"When will this freakin' tunnel end? I can't take it anymore!" said Kyouraku, as he moved closer to Jushiro.

"Sempai, we've only been walking for five minutes…" said the bespectacled Nanao.

"Wait don't tell me… You're afraid of the dark?!" Isshin hit the bull's eye. Kyouraku suddenly paled.

"N-no-no! O-of course I'm not!" he protested. Moving another step closer to his best friend.

"Haha! Kyouraku Shunsui, a 6th year, member of the nobility, Afraid of the dark?!" teased Isshin.

"I t-told you, I'm not! Jushiro, tell them I'm not…!" begged Kyouraku

"Yeah he's not… The one he's terrified at the most are spiders."

"Spider?! Where?!" Kyouraku freaked out as he grabbed unto Ukitake's robes. Ukitake and Isshin laughed hysterically at Kyouraku's demise. They continued to do so for the next five minutes. Kyouraku only kept silent… the look of shame still written all over his face.

"Kyouraku-sempai… It's not so bad… being afraid of spiders. Everyone has fears of their own, having one doesn't make you less of a man you know…" said Ise Nanao, as she flashed a smile at Kyouraku. Kyouraku's heart skipped a beat.

"T-thanks… Ise…" mumbled Kyouraku, as he blushed at the stern sophomore's words.

"H-hey! We're here!" When they reached the end of the tunnel, they found themselves at the garden of the Shihouin Mansion, where the wedding was to be held. The entire place was adorned with flowers, as the noble guests conversed with one another. They saw Kuchiki Byakuya talking with an old noble, and Isshin waved at him. Byakuya, excused himself from the noble he was talking to, and met with Isshin and the others.

"How were you able to enter?" asked Byakuya

"Secret passage… So? Did you convince her?"

"No… She has really decided on doing this… And she wanted me to tell you that she really appreciates all of you for coming all this way for her. I think there's nothing more we can do…" said Byakuya. Retsu, Ukitake, Nanao, and Kyouraku all had defeated looks on their faces.

"Damn! If only Kisuke was here!" Isshin punched a nearby tree in frustration.

"And after we came all this way too…" said Retsu

"I can't believe this is happening… Yorouichi-sempai…" Nanao really looked up to Yorouichi. She considered her as an older sister. A maid of the Shihouin family, suddenly came running from the mansion, and into the garden. She was panting for breath as she spoke.

"Yorouichi-sama… she's missing!"

* * *

a/n: Where the hell is Yorouichi?! the first part of the next chapter is already done... it was supposed to be included in this chapter but it was getting too long so i had to cut it here... Sorry about the errors... So? Was it sucky as always? Review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**disclaimer: most fics include a disclaimer, so i might as well start doing this! I do not own bleach! if i did, then Kisuke and Yorouichi might have had a dozen kids! **

* * *

"Ahh Urahara-kun! Great timing! The squad is running out of those energy pills you made. Have you brought some with you?"

"Yep! Here you go, Hikifune-taichou!" Kisuke handed out a medium sized bag and handed it to the female 12th division captain. Kisuke had been working part-time for the 12th squad ever since he was in his freshman year. The 12th division captain, Hikifune Kirio was very fond of him.(A/n: dunno what she looks like so I won't be describing her much…sorry!)

"Thank you! You're really the squad's life-saver. Would you like to have some tea, Urahara-kun?" asked the captain.

"Sure… And some sweets too… If that's okay with you taichou!" he added. The captain stood up, walked over to a desk and poured tea on two empty cups, she took out a couple of sweets from her cabinet and she placed it on the tray, along with the tea.

"Here you go! Oh but I'm sorry I won't be able to talk with you for too long, all the captains are supposed to go to this wedding…" she said as she took a sip from cup.

"You mean the wedding of the Shihouin family's heiress?" Of course it was that wedding.

"Yes… Shihouin Yorouichi. Isn't she a classmate of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah but… I wasn't invited…" he replied.

"I see… Don't tell anyone I told you this but I feel sorry for that Shihouin kid…" said Hikifune.

"Why?" quickly asked Kisuke

"The man she's marrying… he's only after the Shihouin family's fortune. That Touya, he's a really ambitious man. He believes that by marrying a Shihouin, the Nakatsu family's status in the nobility will rise."

"Ohh…" said Kisuke. He had already figured out that Touya was that kind of man.

"And have you heard about him being married before?"

"Yes. I heard his previous wife died of an illness…" said Kisuke

"Don't believe everything you hear… His previous wife was from a very prominent noble family too, there were speculations that he was the one who killed his wife and took her fortune, and I know this to be true since I happen to be friends with the witness…."

"But if he did kill his wife, then why wasn't he arrested?" inquired Kisuke.

"Because there wasn't any concrete evidence, they couldn't convict him. Urahara-kun, this is a secret between us okay? If the sou-taichou found out I was telling a student about confidential information, I might be dismissed from my position! But then again, I know you're not that kind of person…" said Hikifune as she offered more sweets to Kisuke and he gladly took them.

"Don't worry taichou, I won't tell a soul…"

"Great. Excuse me then, I have a wedding to go to. How about you Urahara-kun, will you be going home?" asked Hikifune

"No… I have somewhere I need to go to. Can I have a lift, taichou?"

"Sure!"

* * *

Earlier, Kisuke had really decided on not stopping her wedding, it was her decision to go through it after all. Even though he had to admit that it was killing him, and eating him inside. But after hearing Hikifune-taichou's story, he had to change his mind. He had to do something. Kyouraku and Ukitake's words continued to echo throughout his head. What was he really thinking? He had been a fool to think that he didn't mind if Yorouichi got married. Hopefully, he wasn't too late. He had Hikifune-taichou drop him off, a few blocks away from the Shihouin mansion, so she wouldn't suspect anything. He walked his way towards the mansion and saw the front gates. A carriage stopped in front of it as a tall noble man came out. It was Yorouichi's retarded fiancé, Nakatsu Touya. Upon descending his carriage, Touya caught a glimpse of Kisuke as he made his way towards him. Kisuke's fists tightened in anger, but he had to control himself, Touya had at least a dozen bodyguards with him, and they were all shinigami.

"You are… Urahara Kisuke?"

"Ah. Such an honor it is. You've remembered my name." he said sarcastically.

"It's a good thing I have such a broad mind. I usually just forget little bugs like you…" said Touya

"I remembered you though… Maybe it's because I hate stuck-up bastards like you…" replied Kisuke

"How brave… insulting a noble with his bodyguards just behind him. To think that my Yorouichi has been friends with you… really disgusting…"

"She's not yours…" said Kisuke through gritted teeth.

"She will be mine. Well then, I must go… My dear bride awaits me… See you at the wedding? I hope not…" Touya turned away from him and laughed maniacally. Kisuke had the sudden urge to draw his sword and slice him to pieces, but he had to control himself of course, he may hate that man, but killing him would mean that he stooped down to his level. Shrugging his anger away, and seeing that he couldn't possibly enter through the front gate, Kisuke walked away… Thinking of ways on how he could get inside. As he was walking, he saw weird markings on the wall and tried to touch it. There was a barrier of some sort preventing him from touching it.

"I see… It can only be opened with kido… Oh I know!" Kisuke closed his eyes as he extended his hand, almost touching the barrier. "Binding art number 93! Release!" (a/n:unofficial spell!) The markings on the wall slowly disappeared. The wall turned into a dark cave-like entrance.

"I wonder if this leads all the way into the mansion? Oh well it's not like I have any more options…" Kisuke entered the dark tunnel and started to run as fast as he could. He noticed the entrance had disappeared behind him, he shrugged the thought off. He could worry about where he would exit through later, getting to Yorouichi was his first priority after all. There was no other way for him but to go forward. He didn't know how much time he had left before the start of the ceremony. After several minutes, he came to a clearing, and he found himself at the Shihouin Family's garden. The guests were busy talking to each other, and there was no sign of Yorouichi which meant that the wedding hasn't started yet. Thankfully, the guests didn't seem to notice his sudden appearance, he carefully sneaked through the garden, and saw the entrance to the mansion was blocked by two guards. He pulled out a couple of sweets from his pocket, held them tightly in his hands and began chanting. He threw the sweets and it landed in front of the guards. One of the guards picked up the sweets.

"Where did these sweets come from?"

"Maybe it belongs to one of the guests…" said the other guard. "Hey those sweets look delicious, can we eat them up?"

"Yeah I guess… It's not liked the guests would notice…" The two guards took off the candy wrappers and swallowed the sweets. A few seconds later, the two were knocked out cold, Kisuke quickly ran and sneaked inside the mansion. It was bigger than he thought it'd be… There were a lot of rooms, all beautifully decorated, and all the rooms almost looked the same. Kisuke wondered how the hell he was supposed to locate Yorouichi in such a big place. He ran through what seemed like endless halls. Kisuke wanted to scream out her name if he could, but he of course, decided against it. He heard voices coming from behind him and they were getting close, he had to hide quickly. Kisuke entered the first room that was closest to him, and he softly shut the door as he entered. The voices he heard went past the room. That was close.

"Takiko, is that you?" called a voice from further inside the room. There was no mistaking it, that was definitely Yorouichi's voice! Kisuke walked further inside the room and saw her, staring out the window. She was dressed in an elegant white kimono, with sakura patterns. Her hair was in a bun, and it was adorned with flowers. Yorouichi truly looked beautiful; Kisuke stared at her in awe… Yorouichi turned to face what she thought was her personal maid.

"K-kisuke?" she said, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Ohh uhh… err… Hi!" he greeted, as he scratched the back of his head. Words seemed to have failed him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well I erhm… you know…. Uhhh…" Kisuke really couldn't find the right words; this was a first for him. He really didn't know what he was supposed to say to her.

"Kisuke..." Yorouichi moved closer to him, and jumped right into his arms. Kisuke was surprised at first, but he hugged her back anyway. It felt too damn good to him, after all.

"Yorouichi… I…" he began to say…

"Kisuke… I'm so glad you're here!" Yorouichi broke the hug and stared right into Kisuke's eyes, he did the same. Denying it was no use now, but the way they looked at each other, they could both tell that they missed each other.

"Yorouichi… Don't get married." Kisuke suddenly said.

"But I have to… I am a Shihouin. My father expects me to get married…" Yorouichi's voice was faint and shaky. She must have been crying.

"To get married is what your father wants, but is it what you want too?"

"N-no… But…I have to do this…"

"No you don't… Don't do this Yorouichi…" pleaded Kisuke.

"It's my duty… as a member of the Shihouin family…" she added.

"You may be a noble but, you're still you. Your duty should be to follow what your heart really desires…" said Kisuke. He moved closer to her, and pulled her into a hug, but Yorouichi broke away from him. "Yorouichi… Don't do this…" said Kisuke once more.

"I…"

* * *

"I can't believe that she just disappeared like that…"

"Do you think she was kidnapped?"

"Maybe…"

"I hope she's okay…" Retsu, Isshin, Jushiro, Kyouraku, and Nanao were walking along the streets of Seiretei, on their way home.

"Do you think… we should tell him?" said Ukitake.

"Tell who what?" asked Kyouraku

"Kisuke-kun…"

"I don't think we should tell him…" said Retsu, the other four stared at her blankly.

"Why not?"

"Well because… Kisuke-kun… he's a little confused about his feelings… If he found out that Yorouichi disappeared from her wedding, then he might do something brash… and go to lengths to save her…"

"True…" said Isshin

"But… Some nobles from our school were there at the wedding. I'm sure word will spread at the academy, and he's going to find out anyway…" stated Nanao.

"Yeah but… we should delay it from him for now… This is us…" said Isshin. They were at the border between Seiretei and Ryukongai.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow… And let's think of how we deal with Kisuke-kun then. Bye!" Ukitake and Kyouraku, both nobles, headed off as the others entered the 1st district of Ryukongai, which was the closest to Seiretei.

"What about you Ise, where do you live?" asked Isshin

"I live near actually. That house at the clearing, that's it…" she said, pointing to a house at the end of the street.

"See you at school then, Nanao-chan…" said Retsu. Nanao bowed to her sempais and left. Retsu and Isshin continued to walk and head home.

"I'll walk you home Retsu…"

"No it's okay. It's been a long day Isshin. I can go home on my own…"

"You sure?" asked Isshin. It had been customary for him to walk her home. Isshin had been doing it since they were freshmen.

"Yes. See you tomorrow then… And don't let it slip to Kisuke just yet." She said.

"Of course I won't… Because I know you'll kill me if I did…" Retsu playfully punched his arm, as she smiled at him, turned and headed the other way. (a/n: is it just me or… have I not been going into detail with my unexplained couple Isshin/Retsu? Maybe another chapter…:D) Isshin walked all the way back home, into the 53rd district of Ryukongai, where he knew Kisuke was waiting. It was already night time when he got home, and he noticed that the lights were on, Kisuke must be working on something, Isshin thought. When Isshin opened the door, Kisuke was slouched on his desk, tinkering with his inventions.

"Oh hey you're home!" greeted Kisuke as he looked up to face Isshin.

"You're unusually cheerful…"

"You think so? Hehe…" Kisuke continued working on his invention, as Isshin sat on the chair next to Kisuke.

"Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" asked Isshin

"Huh?"

"You knew that we went to stop Yorouichi's wedding right?" said Isshin

"Yep…" said Kisuke, still working intently on his invention, and not paying attention that much attention to Isshin.

"Kisuke… you don't want to know?"

"I'm kinda busy here Isshin…"

"You really don't want to know?!"

"I don't need to know…" Kisuke simply said. Isshin was about to retort, when a loud thud on Kisuke's room, echoed throughout their small house.

"Eeeep! Kisuke!!" screamed a female voice, coming from Kisuke's room. Isshin could have sworn that, that voice sounded like Yorouichi. But how was that possible? Kisuke couldn't have…?

"What is it now?!" shouted Kisuke, as he grudgingly stood up and walked towards his room. Isshin followed behind him. Isshin's jaw dropped in surprise. A woman was standing on top of Kisuke's bed, holding what seemed like a frying pan, and wait, it get's even weirder, the woman was actually their classmate.

"Y-y-y-y-y-yorouichi!!"

"Oh hi Isshin, welcome back! Kisuke! There was a rat running around this god forsaken room of yours!" squealed Yorouichi

"Hai hai… I'm on it…" Kisuke held his wooden slipper and looked under the bed for the culprit, and there it was staring back at him. In one swift motion, Kisuke was able to hit the rat, and it was knocked out cold. Kisuke picked it up from its tail.

"Eww! Throw it away!" demanded Yorouichi, backing further away from Kisuke, while Isshin still stood on the doorway, gaping like an idiot. Kisuke threw the dead rat out the window, and slapped Isshin hard. He snapped out of his reverie.

"Ow! What was that for?!" his bestfriend complained.

"Because you were standing there and not doing anything, thought I'd help you snap out of it!" said Kisuke. Yorouichi climbed down from Kisuke's bed, and patted Isshin on the arm.

"Yo! I heard from Kisuke that you guys went to my place. I really appreciate it!" she said, widely smiling as she spoke.

"It was no big deal really… But wait! What the hell is going on here?! Why are you here?!"

"Turns out, Ms. Shihouin here had cold feet…" said Kisuke, smirking at her, Yorouichi retaliated with a glare.

"I did not have cold feet! I just realized that, if I would marry…" she began, her voice slightly fading away. "I-I would want to marry for love…" she added, glancing at Kisuke as she spoke. Kisuke felt his cheeks burn.

"Aww ain't that sweet, Yorouichi's a normal hopeless romantic girl! And here I used to think you were a little boyish. Ow! Hey!" Yorouichi had smacked Isshin's head, and the latter was rubbing his aching head, which had been hit twice.

"Oh yeah Isshin, Yorouichi will be staying with us for a while…" said Kisuke. He walked over to the other room, and took a seat at his desk and began working on his inventions again.

"What? Why? Wait! Kisuke were you the one who kidnapped her?!" asked Isshin

"I don't think you could call it kidnapping, Isshin my friend… Yorouichi begged me to take her away…"

"I did not beg! You were the one who suddenly appeared at my room and told me not to get married!"

"Yeah well, you really didn't want to get married in the first place…" said Kisuke. Yorouichi opened his mouth to spat at him, but no words would come out. Kisuke was right after all. Yorouichi shut her mouth, crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at Kisuke. She went back to Kisuke's room, and closed the door behind her.

"It's good to see that you two are back to your usual, bickering ways…" said Isshin

"Yeah… I did miss having petty fights with Yorouichi." Kisuke let out a small smile, as he continued working.

"But Kisuke… Wouldn't her family be searching for her? If they found out that we're keeping Yorouichi here… We might be…"

"I know… I'll think of something… Oh and Isshin, not a word to anyone else. Got it?"

* * *

Kisuke had told him to keep quiet about it, but Isshin just couldn't bring himself to keep things from Retsu. Retsu had always hinted to him that if Isshin would really want to date her in the future, then he would have to be honest with her. And so, the next day at the academy, he dragged Retsu with him during lunch, towards their hang-out place, and told her everything.

"But it's good to hear that she's okay… But that means… That seal on the secret entrance…"

"Yup. Kisuke removed the seal. Using a high-level binding spell..." explained Isshin

"I knew it! Kisuke-kun really does have feelings for Yorouichi!" she said excitedly. "So are they together now?"

"No I don't think so… They're still too stubborn to confess to each other…"

"That's the way they both are, I guess… Why is Kisuke absent, by the way?"

"He said he couldn't leave Yorouichi alone with his inventions…" Yorouichi was quite a curious person, if something had intrigued her, then she would do anything to figure that thing out.

"I see…" Isshin and Retsu heard footsteps closing in on them.

"Isshin! Where's my darling Kisuke?!" demanded Kuukaku, grabbing unto Isshin's robes. With her was the two 6th years, Kyouraku and Jushiro.

"He err…" He had to come up with a really good excuse. He looked at Retsu for help.

"Kisuke-kun had to skip school today. He had a really high fever…" said Retsu

"Really! My poor Kisuke! I should visit him later…"

"No! I mean…" Isshin again couldn't think of an excuse. Retsu picked it up for him.

"He's highly contagious, and the disease is air-borne. Just standing a few meters away from him would lead you to be infected with his disease…"

"But how come Isshin's not infected?" pressed Kuukaku. Juushiro stared at Unohana in amusement. Obviously, he could tell that something was up.

"It's because he's had the illness before. He's immune to the disease already…" said Retsu. Isshin sighed and relief. It was a good thing Retsu was knowledgeable about that stuff.

"Did you tell him about Yorouichi?" asked Kyouraku

"N-no… of course not!" Isshin wasn't actually lying, but he couldn't help himself from stuttering.

"That's good. But even if you told him, It's not like he could do something about it since he's sick." Said Kyouraku. _"He already did…" _thought Isshin.

"Any news on Yorouichi's disappearance?" inquired Kuukaku

"I heard that some 2nd division members are searching for her all over Seiretei, and if they can't find her there, then it's only a matter of time before they go search for her in Ryukongai." Explained Ukitake, he specifically looked at Isshin as he spoke.

"Ryukongai? As if they'd find her there! A pampered princess like her wouldn't dare hide in Ryukongai." Said Kuukaku. If only she knew how wrong she was.

"But I wonder… If Yorouichi really was kidnapped, then what kind of person was it who did it? Imagine, sneaking inside the Shihouin mansion unnoticed! He must be some kind of genius!" said Kyouraku.

"I bet he is…"

* * *

It was almost noon, when Kisuke woke up. He marveled at the thought that he was actually able to sleep at the floor, since his comfy bed was currently occupied by one Shihouin Yorouichi. Who was snoring quite loudly by the way… Kisuke stood up and glanced at her. By the way she slept; Kisuke would have never thought that she belonged to a very prestigious family. Her head was at the foot of the bed, and one of her arm was hanging loosely at the side. Kisuke couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. He had to remind himself later to tease her about this sleeping position of hers. And her snoring too! Kisuke walked over to the kitchen, he had to cook something. Yorouichi would probably complain to him later about there being no food prepared. He began chopping some vegetables and started cooking.

"That smells good…" said Yorouichi. Kisuke turned to look at her. Her hair was disheveled and she was wearing the white Kimono she had on yesterday.

"Ohayoo, Shihouin-sama! Breakfast is served!" Kisuke offered her a bowl of rice and she took it.

"Thanks… Ne Kisuke, do you have any clothes I could wear? This kimono reeks of my sweat!"

"I have some clothes… You could borrow them but… they're not girl clothes…" he said. He took a seat in front of her as he started to eat. Yorouichi followed suit.

"Kisuke… are you…still mad at me?" she said suddenly.

"Mad? No. A little pissed, yeah. But hey! Let's just forget about it, alright?"

"I'm…sorry… I didn't mean to ignore you like that for so long… And I've said a lot of mean things to you… and I…" Kisuke reached out across the table and held her hand.

"I said it's alright… and you don't need to say sorry. You did what you thought was the right thing and I don't hold it against you. I'm just really glad that you didn't go through with the marriage…" he said as he flashed her a smile.

"I'm really sorry Kisuke…and I'm happy that you're helping me out like this…" she said as she held unto his hand tighter.

"Don't worry about it! I'll help you get through this. I'll think of something. You know I always do!"

"Thank you…Kisuke…"

"No problem… Yorouichi?"

"Hmm?"

"I'll protect you, no matter what…."

A/n: ohoho things are getting interesting! Don't you guys think so? Wee! I can't wait to start the next chapter, but oops sorry, I can't do that just yet. My grades are slipping and I need to exert extra effort on my studies. Sorry 'bout that! In two weeks, my summer classes will be over, expect an update by then. (Of course, that could still change) Review this one too, okay? They keep my going! Thanks! Until the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: it's a bit short...sorry...**

Kisuke had been absent from the academy for over a week, all thanks to Yorouichi. Walking on the path towards the academy felt really refreshing to him somehow. At least he would be away from the house, and away from Yorouichi's constant complaining. That's what you get for taking in a noble into your house, but it's not like Kisuke missed going to school. Yorouichi, kept hinting that it was his fault in the first place that she was staying at their house, and the least he could do was keep her company. Kisuke couldn't help but stay with her; he couldn't possibly leave her alone their house, with his inventions! Then why, after all those reasons, was he going back to the academy today? The answer was simple, the heiress told him to. And Kisuke obliged, although he was a bit hesitant at first. Yorouichi was one smooth talker.

"Kisuke darling!!" As soon as Kisuke arrived at the front gates of the academy, he was immediately showered with affections, courtesy of Shiba Kuukaku. Behind her, Kurosaki Isshin and Unohana Retsu sniggered in delight at the look of pure shock on Kisuke's face.

"Kuukaku has been greeting you this way since we were freshmen! Shouldn't you be used to it by now?" said Isshin as Retsu giggled softly, Kisuke glared at his best friend.

"Oi get off me!! Why are you more clingy than usual anyway?!" protested Kisuke

"Why?! You know why!! I haven't seen you in over a week Kisuke my love! And these guys said I couldn't visit you at all!" said Kuukaku, clinging unto Kisuke tighter.

"I appreciate your concern Kuukaku, but please get off me!! I can't breathe!" In one swift motion, Kisuke was able to slip away from Kuukaku's possessive arms. Kuukaku, Isshin, and Retsu blinked a couple of times in surprise.

"What the hell was that?!"

"You moved so fast Kisuke-kun! How did you do that?" asked Retsu

"I did? Really? I didn't notice that I'd moved so fast…Oh well. Better head to class. See ya Kuukaku!" Kisuke dragged Isshin and Retsu with him towards the main building, and into class 4-A's classroom. Upon entering the room, their classmates turned to face him and all they broke out into whispers, or to put it simply, they were gossiping about his long absence. Not really in the mood to socialize, Kisuke seated himself on his usual desk at the far back of the room, near the window. He glanced at the empty chair beside his' and sighed.

"Worried 'bout her?" asked Isshin, who sat on the desk in front of him, next to Retsu.

"Yeah… I hope the house would still be intact when we get home…"

"I'm sure it will be alright. Yorouichi wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her stay with you…" said Retsu

"We should just hope for the best! Anyway, glad you're back, my friend! And in time for the written tests too! Share some of your knowledge, will ya?" Isshin whispered that last part to Kisuke. What Isshin meant was "Please let me copy off your paper".

"Sure, sure… So what did I miss?" he asked.

"A couple of lectures and training sessions, but nothing you don't already know. Oh and you've been the talk of the school for the past week and Yorouichi too since you quit going to class at the same time that Yorouichi was supposedly 'kidnapped'. I heard a couple of girls making up stories that Yorouichi chickened out of her wedding and dragged you along with her. Some even said that you had eloped." Isshin told him.

"Really? That's funny. Wait till she hears this…" Kisuke, instead of getting mad of all the rumors, simply laughed it off. The classroom door opened, and Kaien Shiba, a member of the disciplinary committee, entered.

"Urahara Kisuke, The headmaster wishes to see you at his office." Said Kaien

"Now?" he asked, as he stood up.

"Now… I was told to escort you."

"Kisuke you don't think it's about…?" began Isshin

"I hope it's not… See you guys later…" Kisuke walked towards the door, and followed behind Shiba Kaien, who didn't speak to him at all. Kaien opened the door of the headmaster's office, and motioned to Kisuke to enter. When he got in, he saw that the headmaster wasn't the only one inside. In fact, the room was full of people. But the only one's he could recognize was the headmaster, and Sasakibe-sensei. The other people in the room, were shinigamis.

"Ah, Urahara-kun. Come in. Take a seat…" said the headmaster. Kisuke nodded and quickly took a seat. For the first time in his life, Urahara Kisuke was actually nervous.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes… But first let me introduce, Captain of the 2nd division and the secret mobile corps, Shihouin Azuma…" Kisuke gulped. The man standing in front of him, is Yorouichi's father. He had short black hair that was graying; he was tall, but a bit thin for his height. He had the same purple eyes as Yorouichi and he had pale skin. Kisuke figured that Yorouichi's takes after her Mother, and her mother must have been really beautiful, her father was not much of a looker, and he looked scary too. Yorouichi's father merely grunted at the headmaster's introduction.

"Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin-taichou and his men would like to ask questions regarding his daughter…your classmate, Shihouin Yorouichi." Said the headmaster. Kisuke's heart pounded faster. Have they found out? If they have then…

"What about her, sir? I heard she was abducted…" Kisuke spoke calmly, but on the inside, he wasn't calm at all.

"Yes… The captain here was hoping you'd be able to help them find out who took her. You and Ms. Shihouin are good friends, are you not?"

"We were friends…" answered Kisuke

"Were friends? Does that mean you're no longer friends?" asked the headmaster.

"I have not spoken to her for nearly a year now, sir…"

"That's true… Urahara and Ms. Shihouin are both in my class and I have noticed that they no longer speak to each other…" Sasakibe-sensei spoke.

"But still you used to be friends. Has she ever told you about a stalker of hers, perhaps? Has she mentioned something of the sort?" inquired the headmaster, Yorouichi's father, who had been quiet for some time now, stood firmly and spoke in a deep cold voice.

"You are too soft, headmaster. You should not be asking those kinds of questions."

"What do you mean, Shihouin-taichou?"

"You should be asking this boy if he knows the whereabouts of my daughter." He said.

"Shihouin-taichou, are you suggesting that I took your daughter?" asked Kisuke

"You have been gone from the academy for over a week, the same amount of time that my daughter has been missing, and you admitted that you were friends with my daughter…" said Captain Shihouin, he didn't mention the fact that it was him, who forbid Yorouichi to be friends with Kisuke.

"The fact that I had been friends with your daughter, and my recent absence from the academy doesn't justify your reasoning that I took her away. You don't have any valid and concrete proof that I was the one who took her. And what benefit would it be for me, if I did take your daughter? I could ask for ransom, sure , but with the secret mobile corps under your command, I would surely be caught. If you must know, Shihouin-taichou, I am quite the merchant. I would not take on any deal if I knew that it would not be easily profitable… And I value my life dearly, I would not want to put it on harm's way by kidnapping someone of such high noble stature..." Kisuke spoke with dignity and in his most uncaring voice, as to avoid further suspicion. He was proud of himself for coming up with such a convincing speech. After he spoke, Captain Shihouin was taken aback.

"I may not have any proof, but I am rather certain that you were involved in my daughter's disappearance. I have heard of your accomplishments, and surely for someone bearing the name of 'genius', breaking a high level spell would not be that hard for you." Said Captain Shihouin

"I don't get what you're trying to say, Shihouin-taichou, but I have cut my ties with your daughter, and she with me, so there's no point in me going through such trouble just to kidnap her. Wouldn't want my talents wasted." He answered with a smirk.

"Shihouin-taichou, I have great respect towards you, but you have suspected one of my best students of a crime that he might not have committed, I feel very insulted. I request that you stop this interrogation." Said the headmaster.

"Hmph. Listen clearly boy, if I have proven that you had something to do with my daughter's absence, you would regret the fact that you ever lied to me…." Captain Shihouin turned his back on Kisuke and ordered his men to move out; they were gone in a flash.

"I'm sorry about this… Urahara-kun…"

"I should be the one saying sorry, Headmaster Tsukabishi…"

* * *

Yorouichi lay sprawled on Kisuke's not-so-comfy bed. She was bored, terribly bored. It had only been three hours since Kisuke and Isshin left for school. She tried entertaining herself by reading Kisuke's books, but it didn't interest her at all. She also tried cleaning the house, but then again, she has never held a broom in her entire life. Since she couldn't do anything, she had just decided to take a nap. But after a couple of minutes laying down, she couldn't fall asleep. Before all hope for sleep, or entertainment was lost, something caught Yorouichi's eyes. Kisuke's oh-so-secret drawer had been left partially opened. She had been warned by Kisuke, at least a hundred times, to never touch anything inside the drawer, and that she would pay dearly if she did touch it. She was curious, really curious, what could be inside Kisuke's drawer? Although she did promise Kisuke that she'd never touch this particular drawer, but desperate times call for desperate measures. This was a do or die situation. Yorouichi walked across Kisuke's small room and stood in front of the drawer as she slowly opened it. Yorouichi thought she would find something like, Kisuke's adult magazines perhaps, but what was inside really surprised her.

Upon opening the drawer she saw a phial of a green liquid of sorts, it had the label 'miracle power potion mark IV' written in bold letters, unmistakably Kisuke's hand writing. This was what Kisuke was trying to hide? A silly little potion that probably doesn't even work? Or maybe, it really did work, and that drinking this stuff would flare up your reiatsu. Yorouichi wanted to try it out. Kisuke wouldn't notice if she just took a few droplets of the stuff anyway. And so, she opened the phial, and took a tiny sip, It was kinda sweet and tasty, like candy. Yorouichi waited for something, but nothing happened. She thought right, the potion was a failure after all. She returned the potion to the drawer and closed it. So much for the entertainment that she was hoping for. Yorouichi sat on Kisuke's bed, coming up with stuff that she could do to kill time, when suddenly, she found it difficult to breathe, it felt like she was choking… She couldn't talk, she couldn't call for help. Was it because of the potion? Was she going to die? But before she could think any further, she lost consciousness and landed on the floor with a thud.

* * *

Kisuke sighed in relief, for the fifth time today, since he was called to the headmaster's office. After the 'interrogation', Kisuke lost interest to go back to class, and decided to skip. He would just tell Isshin about what happened later. He was on his way back home, he passed through the market and bought food, Yorouichi would complain if he didn't buy any. When he got home, the house was really quiet, and it seemed like it was empty. Kisuke made his way towards his room, and Yorouichi wasn't there. Where could she be? Had she been taken by the 2nd squad? The house was still the way it was when he left it this morning, and if the 2nd squad did come to get her, she would have at least resisted. Kisuke's heart began to race faster. Where was she? Was she okay? If anything bad ever happened to her, he wouldn't be able to handle it…

"Oi!" called a deep male voice, Kisuke looked around for the source of the voice, but he was the only one inside the room. Was he hearing voices?

"Psst! Down here!" said the voice. Kisuke looked down on the floor and saw… what seemed to be… a black cat. He looked curiously at the cat… was he hallucinating perhaps? Because it seemed to him that the cat just talked. "Oi it's me!" said the cat.

"ACK! A talking cat!!" screamed Kisuke

"It's me you idiot!!" said the cat. The cat had a bossy sounding voice, and then it hit him…

"Y-yorouichi?!"

"Yes! Pick me up, won't you? I can't move just yet…" Kisuke picked up the black cat, a.k.a Shihouin Yorouichi.

"Why are you a cat? How did this happen?"

"It's your fault, you stupid idiot! If only you hadn't left your secret drawer, this would have never happened to me!" said Yorouichi, in her deep voice.

"You drank the potion?! I specifically told you not to open that drawer!" scolded Kisuke

"I only took a sip, and this happened to me! I thought it would raise my reiatsu!"

"That potion was still in its experimental phase. I was about to test it out on myself, but it's a good thing you beat me to it…" Kisuke smirked.

"Idiot! Do something, will you? Change me back!! Do you have the antidote, or something?!"

"Why would I make an antidote? It's not poison, you know…"

"I know! Just bring me back to normal! You can do it, can't you?" begged Yorouichi, her small yellow cat eyes, staring right into Kisuke's normal, green ones.

"I guess I can… but it will take some time…" said Kisuke

"Then get to it! I don't want to be stuck like this!!" complained Yorouichi. Something clicked on Kisuke's mind.

"Wait… I think it's better you stay this way… for the next couple of days at least…" he suggested.

"What?! Why?" demanded Yorouichi

"The 2nd squad has begun their search for you in Ryukongai… they would reach this district soon.."

"Are you serious?" Kisuke then told the cat Yorouichi about his meeting with her father earlier.

"Damn… I guess I really should stay as a cat… In the meantime…" said Yorouichi, as she admitted defeat.

"We have no other choice. No worries though, I promise I'll bring you back to your normal self. But I kinda like you this way, you'd be easy to pick up, and throw out!" said Kisuke as he threw Yorouichi unto his bed.

"If you do that again I'll… scratch you!" she hissed

"I'd like to see you try, Mr. Cat. At least now you've learned a lesson…" said Kisuke

"What lesson?"

"Curiosity killed the cat… Literally."

* * *

**a/n: so sorry... i've been really busy... and i'm in a hurry... tell me what you guys think by reviewing this rushed chapter... Thanks!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n: LOTS of Kisuke/Yorouichi…(Squeal!)**

The first few days of Yorouichi's transformation into a cat was a total disaster, she found it really difficult to walk on four legs, and she would often forget that she had been turned into a cat, and she would sometimes try to stand on both legs, which led to her falling face flat on the floor. Kisuke was highly amused. Especially when it came to eating, she would desperately try to hold on to her chopsticks, but it was to no avail, thanks to her claws. When Isshin brought Retsu to their house and they found out about her transformation, Isshin rolled over the floor laughing, while Retsu tried her best to hide her rather obvious giggles. Yorouichi thought she would get sympathy, from Retsu at least, but she was dead wrong. She was always the topic of her friend's jokes. Yesterday, when she said that she was hungry, Isshin immediately grabbed a bowl, poured milk into it, and had her drink it from the bowl, on the floor. It was embarrassing. Isshin's constant jokes and comments really annoyed the hell out of her, and it wasn't helping that whenever Retsu came to visit, she would join in on Isshin's jokes. But what surprised her was that, Kisuke has not made fun of her since that day she transformed! In fact, he had been very helpful! Kisuke helped her with everything. She couldn't bring herself to eat like a cat, so Kisuke fed her instead, and he'd been working tirelessly on the antidote. This entire ordeal felt as if Kisuke was her caring master, and she was the loyal pet, normally she would get offended, but she didn't take offense. Kisuke had been a great help and it was hard for Yorouichi not to feel grateful towards him. She wouldn't say it out loud, because of her noble pride of course, but she's actually really glad that she became friends with someone like Kisuke.

"YOROUICHI!" called Kisuke as he suddenly barged in into his room, Yorouichi, who was taking a nap, jumped in surprise.

"What?!" she asked, slightly annoyed that Kisuke had woken her up.

"I think got it!" he said excitedly. He was holding a potion.

"You 'think' you got it? That's what you told me three hours ago and look at me! I'm still a cat!" complained Yorouichi. Kisuke had been giving her different kinds of potions, since this morning, and not one of them proved to be effective.

"This time I've really done it! Promise!" said Kisuke. He did seem really sure this time.

"Give me that stuff then and let's see what happens…." She said. Kisuke walked over to his bed and sat, Yorouichi jumped unto his lap. Kisuke guided the flask to Yorouichi's small mouth, as she slowly sipped the reddish liquid. After she was done drinking, Kisuke stood in front of her and waited for something to happen.

"Nothing's happening!"

"…and I was so sure that was it…"

"Yeah well… keep working! I can't stay like this anymore!" she pleaded.

"I guess I have to try again…" he said, turning away from her as he crossed his arms and began thinking. Yorouichi's eyes widened.

"K-kisuke!" she stuttered.

"Hmm?" When Kisuke turned to face Yorouichi, she had changed, she was no longer in her cat form, and she was back to her old self. Not only was she back to normal, she also happened to be completely and utterly naked.

"I'm back to normal!!" she said, quite surprised herself.

"Y-yeah…Wow… Those are really good...Err I mean that's because I'm really good!" he quickly said. Kisuke was blushing deep crimson.

"I can't believe you did it!" she said excitedly, and then something hit her… "And I…I'm naked! And you're still staring at me!" Yorouichi frantically grabbed Kisuke's bed sheets and she hurriedly covered herself with it, she looked away from Kisuke with a really obvious blush on her face.

"S-sorry!" Kisuke turned to face the door. "I've been working too hard and I think I need some fresh air. Later!"

"Wait! Kisuke!" called Yorouichi as she grabbed Kisuke's arm to stop him from leaving.

"Y-yes?" Kisuke gulped. He hoped that Yorouichi wouldn't kill him.

"Thanks…" she said, as she pushed him and slammed the door right into his face.

"Yep… She's gonna kill me later."

* * *

It had been quite sometime now since Kisuke was able to walk around the district. Familiar friends and neighbors greeted him as he casually strolled around. Since he was already outside, he decided to buy groceries… they had been running low on food, Yorouichi was quite the eater. When Kisuke got to the market, it was more crowded than usual. There seemed to be a commotion going on, people were gathering at the center. Kisuke saw their next door neighbor and tapped him on the back.

"Oh! Urahara-kun!" greeted Kisuke's neighbor, Kawamura.

"What's going on Kawamura-san?" he asked.

"The 2nd division captain is here. There, look!" Shihouin Azuma was walking through the district market, accompanied by the mobile corps. They were searching the area.

"Oh God no…"

"Have you heard about the kidnapping of the Shihouin family's heiress? I heard they were going to search for her whereabouts here in our district." Said Kawamura

"I s-see…"

"Tomorrow they'll start searching through every house in our street. Did they really think that a commoner from Ryukongai would be able to kidnap a girl from a noble family? I don't think that's possible with all the bodyguards the Shihouin family has! And you know what…"

"Sorry Kawamura-san! I have something very important to do!" Kisuke dashed and headed home. He had to tell Yorouichi. It was a good thing that he found out, if he didn't, then he'd probably be rotting in jail right now. Kisuke barged into his house panicking as he locked the doors and the windows shut.

"Kisuke? What's up with you?" asked Yorouichi, who was drying her hair with a towel, she had just taken a shower. And incidentally, she was just wearing a towel.

"Yorouichi…" Kisuke stared at her, clad only in a towel his thoughts began to drift to naughty-land… But then he was snapped out of his delusions when Yorouichi smacked him on the head.

"Well…?" said Yorouichi.

"Yorouichi! We have to hide!" Kisuke told her all about what he heard from the market.

"No way! Kisuke, what are we going to do?! If they catch us here they'll probably kill you, and they'll force me to marry that prick Nakatsu! And maybe…!" it was now Yorouichi's turn to panic.

"Calm down Yorouichi!"

"I guess I should… Freaking out wouldn't solve anything…" she said. Kisuke grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"You need to calm down Yorouichi! Be calm! Be…" Yorouichi smacked him on the head again.

"I'm calm already! You're the one who needs to calm down!" she finally said, Kisuke was really panicking.

"I need to calm down…" he quietly said as he sat on the bed.

"What are we going to do?" asked Yorouichi

"This is my fault I shouldn't have turned you back so soon…"

"Oi don't blame yourself! I was the one who asked you to…" she said, sitting herself beside him.

"We're both at fault then…" Kisuke sighed.

"Maybe I should stay somewhere else in the meantime…"

"Where would you even go…?" asked Kisuke.

"Anywhere but here... You've helped me enough, Kisuke."

"No." he simply answered.

"What?" she asked, surprised at his answer.

"You're not going anywhere… without me that is."

"But you can't come with me! If they don't find you here at your house my father will just suspect you even more!"

"I'm going with you!" he retorted.

"No you can't!" she replied back.

"I'm not letting you go on your own!" he shouted at her.

"I can take care of myself! This is my problem and I'll deal with it on my own! I'm really grateful for your help Kisuke, I can't thank you enough! But I can't involve you any further!" Yorouichi was shouting back at him.

"I know you can take care of yourself but I just can't let you go on your own!"

"And why not?!"

"Because I want you to stay with me Yorouichi!" he blurted out. Kisuke blinked a couple of times in disbelief. The thought has been lingering inside his head for quite sometime now, but he didn't actually want her to hear it. Yorouichi was just as surprised as he was, she was left speechless. After a couple of seconds of silence, Yorouichi spoke.

"I… want to stay with you too…" she began to say.. "My father will surely hurt you if he found me here… and I definitely don't want that to happen… You're important to me, Kisuke…" she continued.

"You have no idea how important you are to me too Yorouichi… that's why I'll do anything to protect you, no matter how cheesy that sounds…" said Kisuke as he smiled at her. Yorouichi giggled softly.

"That was really cheesy… Who would've thought that I'd hear those words from you?" Yorouichi sat beside him.

"Yeah well… Even a good-looking genius like me can get really corny when i'm in love. Shit!" He looked nervously at her. Yorouichi's eyes widened in surprise.

"What did you just say?"

"N-nothing!" he denied, but he was blushing madly.

"You're in love with me…?" she asked, quite unsure of the revelation she just heard.

"I err… uhmm… Well you see…" Kisuke fumbled with words, he didn't know how to react. Why did he say that anyway? It was too soon for her to find out, and what if she didn't feel the same? Well, of course Yorouichi feels for him, but he wasn't sure if her feelings surpasses that of friendship.

"Go on…" she encouraged as she moved closer to him. Kisuke blushed deeper.

"I am but… If you don't feel the same that's cool too…" he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You know what? You can be a jerk sometimes…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"Let me make it clear for you then…" Yorouichi roughly grabbed Kisuke's face and kissed him, it was sweet and short, Kisuke even forgot to close his eyes. When Yorouichi pulled away, she laughed at Kisuke's dumbfounded face.

"W-what?"

"I hope I've made myself clear, Kisuke." She winked at him. Kisuke smiled.

"I think I need to be cleared one more time." He smirked at her.

"Idiot." Yorouichi leaned in and kissed him again, Kisuke closed his eyes this time, as he wrapped his arms around her, and deepened the kiss. His heart was beating like crazy, and so was Yorouichi's. Feelings they've been keeping inside have finally been revealed. It felt simply…amazing. The kiss lasted longer this time, and when Yorouichi pulled away, Kisuke gave her a menacing look.

"You know… we're on a bed…" He whispered into her ear.

"Dream on…" she whispered back to him, as she nudged him, quite painfully on the ribs. She stood up, and left the room, smirking at him.

"Fair enough…"

* * *

"I think I'm getting there. Be patient, okay?" Kisuke flashed Yorouichi a smile, before returning on the concoctions he'd been working on. They had both decided to turn Yorouichi back to a cat, only for a couple of days, to avoid being caught. After much debating with herself, she has finally come to the conclusion that fleeing now was not in her, and Kisuke's best interest.

"Fine… Ne, Kisuke?" Yorouichi spoke in a soft, and serious voice.

"Hmm?"

"I had a dream last night…" said Yorouichi

"About what?" he inquired

"Well… I-it was…" she was stuttering. "Err… nevermind…"

"What? Tell me?" said Kisuke as he turned to look at her. She felt herself blushing.

"N-no… It was nothing…" she said.

"C'mon, Tell me already!" Kisuke was intrigued. It was rare that Yorouichi spoke like this. He could tell that something was bothering her.

"Forget it…" said Yorouichi as she jumped down from Kisuke's desk, and transferred to Kisuke's bed.

"Yorouichi…" he called softly. He stood up and walked over to his bed, and sat right next to her. He reached out and patted her on the head.

"I'm just… a little worried… that if I do tell you about my dream… there's a chance that it might happen…" she said, looking away from him.

"Don't tell me you believe in those silly superstitions?" asked Kisuke.

"No! Of course I don't!" she exclaimed

"Then why can't you tell me?" Kisuke quickly said. He was looking seriously at her. She kept quite for a while, before she spoke again.

"Because I don't want to lose you…" she whispered, as she looked down, hoping that Kisuke was not able to hear what she just said. Kisuke moved closer towards her, picked her up, and hugged her tightly. Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden action.

"You're not going to lose me, I won't let that happen…" Kisuke whispered softly in her ears. Tears were dreading to form around her eyes. Yorouichi closed her eyes and allowed herself to be held by Kisuke. It felt too damn soothing, Kisuke's warm body close to hers made her nerves calm.The dream she had, had been plaguing her sleep for quite some time now. It was about time that she told him.

"I dreamt that the secret mobile corps were chasing after us, Isshin, Retsu and the others tried to stop them from getting to me… but they were beaten… but you held me tighter and ran as fast as you could… they eventually caught on to us… we were surrounded… I told you to run but you didn't… You stayed with me and you fought them head on… But there were too many of them… and…"

"Hey that's enough…" Kisuke said, as she took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"But…" she protested, through muffled tears. Kisuke wiped away her tears.

"I know how that story's going to end anyway…" he told her, flashing her a smile. When Yorouichi gave him a confused look, he continued. "I beat the crap out of those guys, drag you away with me far far away from this place, and we lived happily ever after!"

"But that's not what happened in my dream…"

"Of course, but it was just a stupid dream Yorouichi. It meant nothing…" he said, as he stared at her softly.

"I don't know how to say this… but actually… I'm…really scared…" she spoke in a soft voice, as she snuggled closer to Kisuke.

"Don't be….I'm right here with you…" he assured her as he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"I hope this ends soon… I've been stuck inside your house for weeks!"

"Yeah well sorry if my house is not to your liking, Shihouin-sama…" he teased

"I've actually grown fond of your cute little house Kisuke. Except for your occasional visitors, that is." She was of course, referring to Kisuke's rat problem.

"The reason they come out is because they wanted to stare at your beautiful face, Shihouin-sama…"

"Really huh? So you think I'm beautiful?" she asked, leaning closer towards his face.

"Definitely. There's no competition…" said Kisuke, as he kissed her forehead, stuff like this was still new to her, she couldn't help but blush even deeper.

"I think you've been stuck too long in this house too. You're saying weird things!"

"Maybe… As soon as this is all over I want to take you somewhere!"

"Where?"

"Somewhere…"

"Come on, Tell me!"

"Be a good little kitty and be patient okay?"

* * *

**a/n: thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter! Really appreciate it… Oh and sorry about the very late update… my schedule sucks… Please review this one too! Kudos!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/n: I'm so sooo sorry for the very late update! please don't hate me!**

Kisuke never thought it would be like this. He had, of course, seen people fall in love before, but he never would have dreamed that falling in love and being in a relationship could feel so… amazing. He felt giddy all the time, like a young school girl experiencing love for the first time. He felt as if he was the luckiest guy in all of Seireitei. Well sure, people from Ryukongai are getting poorer each day, the nobles are becoming more oppressive, and hollow attacks had been more common, but he couldn't bring himself to feel down about all these things. He had never felt this happy before, and he didn't want anything else to get in the way of his happiness.

He sighed again in contentment, for the tenth time today, as he gazed across his small room, staring intently at the source of his happiness. She was sleeping, and seemed to be dreaming since her lips were curled in a smile. Kisuke chuckled to himself as he kneeled beside his bed and softly played with the strands of her slightly purple hair. Apparently Yorouichi was one heavy sleeper, she had been sleeping for 15 hours straight. The potion that would turn her back into a cat had a minor side effect, it made her quite tired, it drained her reiatsu a bit. Kisuke had to do minor adjustments to the potion, before it was completely perfect, he had to hurry though, time was running out, the 2nd division was nearing their district, only two more days before they would search through this district.

How did they know that it would only be two days? Isshin had made himself quite useful. He agreed to spy on the secret mobile corps stationed just outside their district, in exchange for Kisuke doing his assignments, letting Isshin copy off his exam papers, and teaching him the high level binding spells until graduation. Kisuke agreed to it without hesitation, he would pay whatever price as long as it would keep Yorouichi safe. He would go through hell and endure hours of trying to teach binding spells to Isshin if it meant that Yorouichi would be kept from harm's way. That's how much he cares for Yorouichi, and mind you, Isshin horribly sucks at binding spells.

Kisuke stood up, he figured it was time he went back to work again, but he was pulled down back to the bed by the now awake Yorouichi.

"You look terrible…" whispered Yorouichi, referring to the bags under his eyes, he had been sleep deprived for some time now. She snuggled closer to his chest as Kisuke wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks. Did I wake you?" Kisuke smiled at her.

"Yeah but it's fine, I feel quite refreshed. But you on the other hand…"

"No big deal. I've pulled all-nighters before, I'm used to it."

"Kisuke you should get some sleep, I can tell that you're tired. You don't have to force yourself…" she said with a pleading look in her eyes. Kisuke felt his hear skip a beat.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I think I'm getting there anyway, I'll take a rest when the potion's done." said Kisuke as tucked away a few loose strands of her purple hair.

"But that's what you told me hours ago and your still not done! You still have time anyway, you can afford a couple of hours sleep." scolded Yorouichi

"But…" Kisuke's sentence was cut short, Yorouichi covered his mouth with her hand.

"No buts, you're going to rest." said Yorouichi, in her usual commanding tone. Kisuke could never say no whenever she gets bossy.

"Fine, fine. Only for a half hour though." he said as he pulled away from Yorouichi and tucked himself under the covers of his bed.

"Five hours." she said

"An hour…"

"Three hours…"

"An hour and a half…"

"Two hours." Yorouichi's voice was bossy again.

"Fine then, but you'll have to sleep with me." he said, Yorouichi blushed crimson.

"What did you say?!" she retorted. And then it hit him, Kisuke had just used the wrong words.

"N-no…! I mean sleep here, beside me! Not as in sleep with me like err… well you know…" Kisuke fumbled with the right words. Yorouichi giggled.

"I know, I was just messing with you!" Yorouichi pulled herself closer to Kisuke as she also got under the covers. Kisuke closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep. "Kisuke?" called Yorouichi softly.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks…"

"I should be the one thanking you, you're right you know, I really need to get some rest." he said.

"Not that… I mean for everything you've done for me, I really, really appreciate it. I don't know what I'd do without you…"

"Aww… look at you, getting all mushy. What ever happened to the spunky heiress I used to know?" Kisuke teased. Yorouichi gently nudged him on the ribs.

"Hey I'm serious…"

"I know you are. And don't worry about it, I'm not just doing this for you, this is for myself too…" said Kisuke

"For yourself?" she asked, confused.

"Well because… I wouldn't be able to bear with it… if ever you were taken away from me."

"A promise then…"

"Huh?"

"Let's make a promise. I promise that I'd never ever let them take me away, and you'll have to promise to protect me and save me if that ever happens…" said Yorouichi.

"Who are you and what have you done to Yorouichi?"

"Idiot!"

"Just not used to hearing you say things like that. Look at what you've done! I'm blushing!"

"Kisuke…" her face was serious now.

"I promise… No matter what…" he whispered into her ear.

"Thank you…" she said. Kisuke gently grabbed her face towards his as he kissed her softly on the lips. Yorouichi wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. They were locked in a passionate kiss when suddenly…

"Eww! Gross!" The two quickly broke apart, and glared at their audience.

"Isshin… I forgot you still live here…" said Kisuke

"Thanks man…"

* * *

"Really? That's great news! When did it happen?"

"A couple of days ago, saw them making out. It was really weird, seeing them like that."

"You'll have to get used to it then…" said Retsu.

"I told them to tone it down, don't want to walk in on them again, especially when they decide to take it to the next step. If I ever see them doing it, I might be emotionally scarred for the rest of my life!"

"Haha… I bet you would!" laughed Ukitake. Isshin, Retsu, Ukitake and Kyouraku were all hanging out by the cliff behind the academy's old building.

"Does Kuukaku know about it?" asked Kyouraku

"I don't think she does. It will be hell if Kuukaku finds out though…" said Isshin

"Oh I forgot to ask! How did your tests go? Wasn't today the first day of exams for the 6th years?" asked Retsu

"Yeah… I think I did okay… Wow, can you believe it? Kyouraku and I are graduating in two weeks!"

"Easy for you to say, I don't think I'd be able to make it though…" said Kyouraku, he had such lousy grades.

"Even if you did fail your tests, With your father's influence, They'd let you graduate…" said Ukitake.

"True…" added Isshin. The Kyouraku clan was a member of the higher nobility.

"How are things in your district?" Ukitake asked Isshin

"The secret mobile corps are really aggressive. They posted signs everywhere with Yorouichi's face on it. I think they're giving a reward to whoever could pass information on her whereabouts." said Isshin

"I heard the commoners were passing on fake information to the second squad just for the sake of the reward…" said Retsu

"Those SMC guys are everywhere! I thought they were supposed to be secret?"

"How are those two handling this?" asked Ukitake

"Yorouichi's always restless, she just can't seem to stay put in one place whenever she's not asleep. Kisuke looks like a zombie, he hasn't had any decent sleep. He's been working on the potion for days now…" explained Isshin

"I think we should help those two out. They've been on their own for some time, and as their friends, it's about time we helped them out…" said Retsu.

"You're quite right Retsu…" The group noticed that someone was approaching them, a female student with tied up hair and glasses.

"Sempais!" she called, she seemed to be in a hurry.

"Nanao-chan! What's wrong?" asked Retsu. Nanao stopped in front of the group and kneeled to catch her breath.

"Sasakibe-sensei asked me to pass you a message. It's about Urahara-sempai…"

"What's it about?" inquired Ukitake

"Sensei said that you should tell Urahara-sempai to come to school tomorrow…" said Nanao.

"What? And if he doesn't come to school tomorrow, what's gonna happen to him?" asked Isshin

"Well… he will be expelled…"

"But that's crazy! Kisuke is the academy's top student!"

"That may be true but there are still rules. A student can only be absent for a maximum of 30 days, it's in the student handbook." explained Ukitake.

"And how many days has he been absent…?" Kyouraku turned to look at Isshin. Isshin began counting in his head.

"Err…Three weeks… And that's not counting the times he's skipped class for fun…"

"Oh no…"

"Is he really going to be expelled?"

"Who knows? We should tell him as soon as possible!"

After classes, Retsu, Jushiro, and Shunsui all followed Isshin home. When they got there they saw Yorouichi sitting on the tatami mats on the floor, and she had a disoriented look on her face, Kisuke on the other hand was on his desk, his hands were moving quite fast… he was still working. The two didn't seem to notice their arrival.

"So you weren't kidding when you said that the SMC was all over the district…" said Ukitake. They all squeezed themselves inside Kisuke and Isshin's small house.

"Told yah. Oi Kisuke?" Isshin tapped Kisuke's shoulder and he jumped in surprise.

"God! Don't scare me like that Isshin! You almost gave me a heart attack…." said Kisuke. Retsu, Jushiro and Shunsui's mouth dropped in shock. Kisuke looked really pale, he had such deep bags under his eyes, and he looked like he had lost weight.

"Oh my! Kisuke-kun!" exclaimed Retsu

"You look like you're about to drop dead Urahara…" said Shunsui

"What are you all doing here?" asked Kisuke, he sounded really irritated.

"We came to check how you guys are doing… Now we can see that you're both not doing so well…" said Jushiro

"We brought food! Hey! What the hell's wrong with Yorouichi? She didn't even look up when I said food!" said Shunsui. Retsu gently shook Yorouichi. She snapped away from her stupor.

"H-huh? Oh hi Retsu… Didn't see you there…"

"Yorouichi-chan, are you okay?" asked a very concerned Retsu

"She's still recovering from that last potion I gave her, she's a still a bit woozy." interrupted Kisuke

"I'll be fine… I think I need to lie down though…" Retsu helped Yorouichi stand up.

"I'll take her to your room Kisuke-kun." she said as she led Yorouichi to Kisuke's room.

"Thanks Retsu…" Kisuke mumbled.

"Still not there?" asked Jushiro as he moved closer to Kisuke's desk. It was quite a mess.

"Almost, though… I just can't seem to leave out the part where it drains her reiatsu. Ugh!" Kisuke slammed his head quite painfully on the desk.

"H-hey! Why did you do that?"

"I have to inflict pain on myself so I wouldn't fall asleep… I have to get this right as soon as possible…" said Kisuke as he returned to his work. His friends couldn't help but feel pity. He looked terrible.

"I'll help you out then!" said Jushiro

"But don't you have exams, sempai?"

"Yeah but I'm sure I'll be able to pass them without reviewing again. Let me in on your work!" said Jushiro enthusiastically. Kisuke nodded in appreciation. Jushiro pulled out a chair and sat next to Kisuke as they began working.

"Oh but before I forget! Kisuke-kun!" Jushiro suddenly said.

"What?"

"You have to go back to school tomorrow! You'll be expelled if you don't!"

"Yeah you should go back, I'll stay home tomorrow and look after Yorouichi." offered Isshin.

"But what if…" he began to protest.

"Kisuke, just go, okay? We'll be fine. Didn't you want to be a shinigami?" said Isshin

"I do but…"

"Then you should go back to the academy tomorrow! We may still have time before the SMC gets here…."

"Okay then… But I'll have to finish this potion today…."

"That's what I'm here for!" said Jushiro as he patted Kisuke on the back.

"I'll get you some coffee then, look's like you still won't be able to sleep again tonight." said Shunsui, as he stood and left. Kisuke felt really grateful, and lucky at the same time. He was so glad that he had such good friends. He had to work harder, if the SMC were to caught them, he would blame himself if anything were to happen to his friends.

* * *

The next day…

Kisuke woke up with a start, his neck was hurting. He realized that he had fallen asleep on his desk. He looked around the house, he could hear loud snores coming from Isshin's room, he must still be asleep. Retsu, Kyouraku and Jushiro left just a few hours ago, they had to get ready for school too, and the two 6th years have their exams. Kisuke stood up, and walked towards his room and grabbed his uniform from his closet. He was surprised to see that Yorouichi was awake, it was rare for her to be awake this early in the morning. She was sitting on the bed, her legs crossed, she was silently gazing at the window, wearing the most beautiful and serene expression Kisuke has ever seen.

"Hey…" he called. Yorouichi turned to look at him and smiled.

"Hey you… You still look as awful as you did yesterday…" said Yorouichi. She gestured for Kisuke to sit beside her on the bed.

"You were staring outside… Bear with it for a little longer… I promise it will be over soon…" Kisuke whispered, Yorouichi nodded. He knew that she missed the outdoors… she had been staying inside the house for weeks.

"You're going back to the academy right? Please be careful. My father probably set up some of his guards to watch you…"

"I'll be fine. I can take on a couple of shinigamis if the need to do so arises." he said jokingly.

"Sure you can…" said Yorouichi, but deep down she was really worried. The 2nd division was made up of the most dangerous shinigamis, even if Kisuke was a genius, he could never take on all of them.

"I better go then, don't wan't to be late on my first day back." he winked at her as he stood up and turned to get dressed. Yorouichi grabbed his hand before he could go.

"Kisuke… Be careful…" she pleaded.

"I will…"

Upon entering the academy, he could feel the entire student body staring at him as he made his way across the main buildings halls, towards the headmaster's office. The students were murmuring as he passed them, gossiping was more like it. Most of them believed that he was involved in Shihouin Yorouichi's disappearance. He was annoyed by the reception but he didn't bother with them. Before sliding open the headmaster's office door, he took in a deep breath.

"Ano… Excuse me?" he called. Sasakibe was standing in front of the headmaster's table, they seemed to be talking in a low voice.

"Urahara! Good you came back! You've been expelled though…" said Sasakibe

"What? But…"

"What I meant to say was you're supposed to be expelled. Headmaster Tsukabishi and I pleaded with the Commander-General to reconsider." said Sasakibe. (a/n: there have been errors with my fic about this one, to make things clear, during the start of the fic, Yamamoto was the headmaster of the academy and also the commander, but being the commander required him to be absent from the academy most of the time, and so he appointed a new headmaster…Tsukabishi Tessai!)

"Urahara, I'm not going to ask why you've been absent for weeks, but please don't be absent anymore. You're the academy's top student, and it'd be such a loss." said the headmaster.

"Of course. I'm sorry sir, after everything you've done for me, this is how I repay you…" he said, with remorse in his tone.

"You're parents have been good friends of mine, they were truly honorable shinigamis. The least I could do is to make sure their son becomes a shinigami…" said Headmaster Tsukabishi.

"Oh and about that matter…" began Sasakibe "To make up for your absences, the Commander has taken back his offer to allow you to take the shinigami test. You'll still have to go through your 5th and 6th year." he continued.

"I see. I don't mind then. I still have a lot to learn from this academy." said Kisuke. That wasn't how he really felt though, he was tired of attending classes, but at the very least he was glad that he wasn't expelled.

"Good. Don't go skipping classes anymore, The headmaster and I can only do so much…" said Sasakibe

"Yes sir…"

"Go to your class then…" Kisuke bowed to them as he turned to leave.

"Wait Urahara…" called the headmaster.

"Yes?"

"If ever there's anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask…" said the headmaster, wearing a very serious expression on his face.

"Yes sir, Thank you…"

* * *

If someone had asked her, four years ago, if Urahara Kisuke was someone she would consider to be with, someone who she would consider falling in love with, she would have answered a very honest no. At first, Kisuke was this proud, sadistic, opportunistic (albeit good-looking) rebel who annoyed the hell out of her. The first year of their friendship composed mostly of constant arguments, the only thing they had in common then was their passion for pulling pranks, that was probably the only reason they became friends. There was even a time when she hated his guts, Kisuke was a show-off, he always showed the student body his amazing skills and talents, and he liked having to hear them constantly praise him. She was really pissed off by this trait of his, and Kisuke probably felt just as annoyed of her, as she was with him. She was this sophisticated, bossy, and spoiled heiress after all. After spending so much time with Kisuke, she had changed, for some reason, Kisuke had this really huge influence on her. After a couple of years, Yorouichi began seeing a different side to him. Despite being a genius rebel, Kisuke had a heart of gold, and a good sense of justice. He always helped out those in need (he didn't ask for anything in return… on certain occasions at least), he shared his talents, he didn't keep it to himself and he had this really strong urgency to protect the weak. He would gladly face danger if it meant he could protect someone. When Yorouichi saw this side of him, that was probably when she began falling for him. She started to fall for him despite the fact that he was totally obsessed with his inventions!

When she realized that she had fallen for him, she went through an internal debate with herself. Kisuke was her first friend, no, her best friend. If ever she was to tell him her feelings, and he didn't feel the same, things would be awkward between them and that would have destroyed their friendship, she didn't want that to happen, and so she kept quiet. But it didn't help that whenever Kuukaku was clinging to him, and when those flirty freshmen girls were hitting on him, she had this really strong desire to just tell him. Her jealousy was eating her inside. And the other issue she debated with herself on, was their difference in background. She was a noble, and he was a commoner. It was a very standard tradition that heiresses had to marry someone of the same stature. Yorouich used to think that she could never go against the Shihouin Clan, and when her engagement had been announced, she had to go through with it, she didn't have a choice. But when she saw Kisuke just right before she was about to get married, and how he had pleaded to her not to get married, all her thoughts of following her duties as a Shihouin went down the drain. She wanted to be with Kisuke, she wouldn't give a damn about anything else as long as she could be with him, and when she realized that Kisuke felt the exact same way, she almost exploded with happiness.

Being with Kisuke like this, having to wake up every morning and see that mischievous grin of his, has never made her this happy in her entire 20 years of life. She would die (metaphorically speaking) if she would be separated from him. She knew for a fact, that Kisuke was someone she could never live without.

"Ne, Isshin…" called Yorouichi

"What?" Isshin looked up from the book he was reading (a/n: Isshin, reading a book?! Waaa! Ask Retsu…)

"Nah, it's too embarrassing I can't talk to you about it…"

"Is it about Kisuke?" he asked.

"Yeah… But it's nothing, forget it…"

"Come on tell me? I may be like this, but I still am your friend…" said Isshin

"Well… I was thinking of doing something for Kisuke, you know, to err… show how much I appreciate him doing all this for me…" she said. It still felt weird, talking to Isshin about something that concerned his so-called 'boyfriend'.

"And you're asking me what I think you should do for him?"

"Uh-huh…" Isshin thought for a while, before he spoke again.

"Have you done it yet?" he suddenly asked. Yorouichi's mouth dropped in shock.

"N-no!!" she answered, she felt her cheeks redden. Stupid, perverted, Kurosaki Isshin!

"You could do it, that would DEFINITELY make him happy." Isshin said, as he winked at her. Yorouichi grabbed him by his collar.

"I'll punch you in the face Isshin…"

"Hey that was just my opinion, no need to get so violent. But I'm surprised you haven't done it yet. Doesn't sound like Kisuke at all…" said Isshin, Yorouichi let go of him.

"What do you mean?"

"Err no, nothing…" Isshin almost slipped, Kisuke would literally kill him if he told Yorouichi about 'that'.

"Still need help here…" said Yorouichi. Isshin was relieved that she didn't press on the matter.

"I'm absolutely positive that whatever you think of doing for him, no matter how awesome or lame it is, he's gonna be happy as long as it's from you…"

"Really?"

"Of course! He's been in love with you since we were freshmen!"

"I know…" Yorouichi let out a contented sigh. Hearing other people tell him how in love Kisuke is with him, makes her feel so special. "So you really think anything is fine then?"

"Of course! How about cooking for him then? Or cleaning the house? His room? Or washing his clothes?" Yorouichi couldn't pick one out of the above, and so, she had decided on doing all those things. Things that she had never, EVER done before. The cleaning, washing, and the cooking took almost all day, it was almost time for Kisuke to come home from the academy. She wondered how he would react, he'd probably flip out though, Shihouin Yorouichi doing household chores was definitely rare. She sat close by the door, waiting to ambush him the moment he stepped inside the house. She waited for a while, ten, twenty, thirty minutes had passed, and he still hadn't come home.

"He isn't home yet?" asked Isshin, as he peeked on Yorouichi from his room.

"Yeah… I wonder where that idiot is, he's late!"

"Maybe he decided to drop by the 12th division, Hikifune-taichou is really fond of him…"

"Maybe…" Yorouchi began to worry. She suddenly felt that something bad had happened to him… Just then, she heard hurried steps from outside. Finally! She thought… She slid open the door.

"Kisu…." it wasn't Kisuke, it was Retsu, Jushiro, Kyouraku and Kuukaku, they all had a blank expression on their faces.

"Yorouichi, Isshin… They took him… The Secret Mobile Corps took Kisuke away, and… they're making their way here…"

a/n: please tell me what you guys think! and some suggestions would be nice too! oh and sorry if Kisuke and Yorouichi are OOC (especially Yorouichi) I'm trying my best though... And give those two a break, they're in love after all! Heehee... Thanks!!


	14. Chapter 14

a/n: Italics flashback

"Yorouichi, Isshin… They took him… The Secret Mobile Corps took Kisuke away, and… they're making their way here…"

"What?! How the hell did that happen?!" exclaimed Isshin.

"Classes just ended, The sempais, Kisuke-kun and I were heading out of the academy. They surrounded us at the gate. Yorouichi's father was there, and Nakatsu Touya as well, he moved so quick that I didn't notice that his zanpakutou was already at Kisuke's neck. We tried to help Kisuke but he told us to step back and that we should leave. The mobile corps then held him down, and I heard one of them say that they were headed to this district. We rushed as soon as they were out of sight." explained Retsu in one breath, she spoke calmly despite the obvious anxiety and fear she felt.

"We… couldn't do anything about it, We're sorry…" Jushiro said he was looking down on the floor, the rest of them felt so helpless. Yorouichi couldn't believe what she was hearing, it seemed so surreal. Retsu moved next to her and held her shoulder to calm her down, she was trembling in fear.

"You have to get out of here Yorouichi. They'll forcibly drag you out of here." said Shunsui.

"Yeah, you guys go hide her, I'll have to stay here, I'll ask them if they could let go of Kisuke." said Isshin. Retsu and Jushiro held Yorouichi on both sides and began dragging her out to the back door.

"No!" she broke from their grasp. "I'm not leaving him! I'll stay here!"

"Don't be stupid! Kisuke would definitely get mad at you if you didn't go!" said Isshin

"The potion! I'll change back to a cat, they won't be able to tell it's me, once they get here and they realize that I'm not here, I-I'm sure they'll leave…" she said, but she really didn't believe her own words that the mobile corps would simply go quietly when they had gotten hold of her.

"But the potion's not perfect yet right? You might not be able to change." protested Shunsui

"I don't care. I'm not leaving him!" she said again. She feared for Kisuke's safety. At least if she would be found here, she would be able to plead with her father not to hurt him and their friends.

"I can hear noise outside. They're here." said Jushiro. Yorouichi quickly opened Kisuke's desk drawer, and pulled out the vial. She hastily drank the contents and swallowed hard. It worked, she felt her clothes slip out of her, she was in cat form within seconds.

"Go! Isshin and I will be just fine!" she said in her cat form, her voice hoarse.

"We'll just be outside. Isshin, signal us with a kido once they've left" said Jushiro, as he dragged Shunsui through the back door. Retsu following right behind them.

"Isshin, don't do anything foolish…' said Retsu, her face full of concern.

"Yes ma'am!" Isshin winked at her Retsu smiled at him, as she disappeared behind the door. A couple of seconds later, The front door was knocked down by one of the mobile corps shinigami. They forcefully trudged inside the small house, Yorouichi's father and Nakatsu Touya at the center. Yorouichi hopped unto Isshin's shoulder, that's when she saw him. Kisuke's arms was being held down by two shinigamis. He didn't appear to be hurt. When Kisuke looked up and saw Yorouichi in cat form, he gave her a disapproving look.

"Who is this?" Shihouin Azuma, 2nd squad captain, and leader of the Secret Mobile Corps asked Kisuke

"My best friend. He lives here with me." he answered, not tearing his gaze from Yorouichi. She stared back at him, he looked mad.

"What do you want?" asked Isshin, they ignored him.

"Search through the entire house." Nakatsu Touya ordered to some of the shinigami. They began rummaging through the house, opening drawers, closets, looking under the bed and such.

"Good luck finding her here…" Kisuke spoke sarcastically. One of the shinigami holding him hit him on the face. Yorouichi flinched. The mobile corps, after awhile, stopped searching through the small house, it was pretty evident that she was nowhere in sight.

"Taichou, she doesn't appear to be here. And there are no signs of her that could prove that she was here." said one of the men.

"You…" The captain turned to face Isshin.

"What?" he answered rudely.

"Where is my daughter?" he asked

"Like hell I know! I haven't seen her for ages!" lied Isshin, he was relatively calm despite the overwhelming uneasiness he was currently feeling.

"You better not be lying, peasant." said Nakatsu Touya, as he grabbed Isshin by his collar.

"I've told you a hundred times already! I'm not hiding your daughter! Let go of him!" said Kisuke, Shihouin Azuma turned to face him.

"I am perfectly sure that you are hiding my daughter. If you still insist on your lies, then I'll have no other choice but to kill you." Yorouichi gasped at his father's words. She knew that he would really do it.

"You could kill me but you still won't find your daughter here." Kisuke glared at the 2nd division captain. Shihouin Azuma moved slowly toward him, and stopped when he was just a step away from him, he unsheathed his zanpakutou. Isshin held Yorouichi tighter.

"You don't mind dying then? For a peasant, you're really brave." said Azuma

"Why thank you for the compliment, Taichou-san!" Kisuke said smugly.

"Azuma-sama, allow me to take care of this commoner…" said Nakatsu as he stepped in, in front of Yorouichi's father. Nakatsu unsheated his zanpakutou and pointed it at Kisuke. "Prepare to die, mongrel." Kisuke closed his eyes and waited for Nakatsu's zanpakutou…

"NOOO!" Nakatsu and Shihouin Azuma turned to look at the source of the scream, it was the cat Yorouichi.

"A…talking cat…?" Nakatsu said in disbelief.

"Father, It's me! Yorouichi!" Yorouichi jumped down from Isshin's shoulder, and was instantly covered in white smoke, she quickly grabbed her clothes on the floor and hurriedly dressed while she was still covered by the smoke.

"Y-yorouichi?!" called Shihouin Azuma. He turned to face Kisuke. "You!"

"Father please! It's not his fault! I went with him on my own will…" she said, tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Why?"

"I wasn't… ready to get married yet… I asked Kisuke to take me with him and hide me… Please let him go, father." she held on to her father's arm and pleaded.

"This peasant should still be punished, Shihouin-taichou! Lying to a gotei 13 captain is still inexcusable!" said Nakatsu, his zanpakutou still pointed at Kisuke.

"Father please…" Yorouichi got down on his knees. "I beg of you, please let him go… I'll…marry Nakatsu-san…" her tears finally came down, she didn't know what else she could do, this was the only way she knew to save Kisuke.

"Yorouichi don't do this…!" Kisuke shouted.

"Let the boy go…" Shihouin Azuma ordered his men. The two shinigimis holding Kisuke instantly obeyed. Kisuke moved towards her but was blocked by Shihouin's men.

"Let us go." said Shihouin Azuma as he dragged his daughter out of the house.

"Yorouichi!"

"If you follow us, I won't hesitate to kill you…" said the 2nd division captain coldly as he unleashed his reiatsu, Kisuke and Isshin sank unto the ground with the force of his reiatsu.

"Kisuke please don't go after me… I'm sorry… This is the only way…" were the last words Kisuke heard from her as she disappeared from sight, and Kisuke understood.

* * *

"_Oi! Don't stray too far from me, you might get lost!" he called after her._

"_I'm not a little kid!" she retorted as she stuck her tongue at him. _

"_Right, and sticking your tongue out is not childish at all." _

"_Kisuke! Look at this stuff!" she squealed enthusiastically like a little girl, no one would have noticed that she was born into nobility. Kisuke sighed, marveling at the beauty of being with someone like her, as he strode toward her. Bringing Yorouichi to the market with him didn't seem like such a bad idea despite his internal protests. _

"_Look at all these vegetables! And some of them I haven't tasted yet!" said Yorouichi, eyeing the vegetables with a hungry look. _

"_Then shall I make something out of these vegetables for dinner tonight?" said Kisuke as he flashed her a smile. _

"_Sure! You know how much I love your cooking!" she smiled back. _

"_I'll take some of these!" Kisuke told the vendor. While paying for the vegetables, he noticed that Yorouichi was nowhere near him. He quickly scanned through the area, but her dark purple hair was nowhere in sight. Panic started to claim him. What if something bad had happened to her? Kisuke walked toward a random direction, hoping to find her. There she was at the bridge, glancing down quietly at the running waters below it. Kisuke sighed in relief. _

"_I told you not to go on your own…" His voice was loud, but there was no trace of anger in it. _

"_Sorry…. I saw the river and I wanted a closer look." she replied. Kisuke stood beside her as he stared at the river as well. _

"_Kisuke…"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_What would you do… If I was separated from you?" she asked. Kisuke raised an eyebrow at her. _

"_Huh?"_

"_Just answer the question…" she urged. _

"_Well… For one thing, I'd have kept a closer watch on you so you wouldn't be separated from me in the first place…"_

"_But what if, you couldn't do anything about it, and I was still separated from you?" _

"_I'm sure you already know the answer to that… I'll travel to the ends of Soul Society to find you no matter what!"_

"_B-but what if you did find me… but I told you I didn't want to go back with you?" she asked. Kisuke thought she was kidding, but her eyes say otherwise, she was serious. _

"_Yorouichi… what are you saying?" Kisuke gently grabbed her shoulders. _

"_Kisuke promise me… If ever I go away, don't go after me okay?"_

"_Why the hell wouldn't I go after you?!"_

"_Because it's something that I have decided myself, even if I was taken against my will, and the fact that I didn't escape from them means I've decided to stay for myself."_

"_I don't understand…"_

"_Kisuke please… Promise me…" she was begging now. _

"_Fine…" he answered, although he wasn't really sure what he was promising for. _

"_If ever I get taken away… Don't go looking for me. Go on with your life as if you had never met me in the first place, as if I had never existed. This is to protect you…_

* * *

"Kisuke! What the hell are you doing just sitting there?!" exclaimed Isshin. The others went back to their house just minutes after the 2nd division left.

"Shouldn't we be going after Yorouichi?" said Ukitake

"Yeah! What are you waiting for?" added Kyouraku

"I can't… She doesn't want me, or any of you, to go after her…" he spoke so low that it was barely audible.

"Why the hell not?" demanded Isshin

"I promised her…"

"Kisuke-kun… are you going to give up on her so easily just because of a promise you made?" Retsu asked him.

"I don't know… what I should do… And even if we did go after her, what can five academy students like us do against an entire squad of accomplished shinigamis? I want to save her… I really do… But I can't involve you guys…"

"I'll have to admit… I…well, all of us here are afraid. But Kisuke-kun, we simply can't stand by and watch two of our friends suffer. We want to help you out…" said Ukitake. Kisuke's internal battle raged on. He wanted to go after her, he really did. But Yorouichi's words really stuck to him. What if she meant that she didn't want him to go after her because it was what's best for him?

"I…" Kisuke's thoughts, and the others as well, were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Isshin turned to answer the door. It was a middle aged woman who looked oddly familiar.

"You… you're…Takiko?"

"Yes… I have come here to deliver this. This is from Ms. Shihouin…" she handed a letter to Isshin, scribbled hurriedly on the envelope was Kisuke's name. Isshin handed Kisuke the letter. He opened it and read:

_Kisuke,_

_I love you. I always have and always will (If you're laughing at how cheesy that sounds, I'll punch you!) Which is why I'm doing this. The downside is that I'd have to marry that prick Nakatsu Touya, but on the upside, you and the rest get to be safe! Please don't hate me. And don't do anything rash either. You've always wanted to be a shinigami right? So now that I'm no longer freeloading off you, you can become a full time student again! Yay! I have been allowed by father to attend the academy again, maybe we'll run in to each other at the academy halls, but I'm not allowed to talk to you, so I'm apologizing in advance if I ignore you. Sorry if my goodbye letter is a bit weird, I haven't written a love letter before! Heehee… Kisuke… And remember what I told you before? Go on with your life… As if we had never met before. You promised me, you'd better not break it! Please tell the others that I'm really sorry… and that I'll miss them! Sorry… this is just something I really have to do. I hope you understand. Being with you was the greatest dream I've ever had, I wish I'd never have to wake up from it. Please know that I'll always be thinking of you, and all of the possible futures we could have had together. Goodbye, Urahara Kisuke…_

_Always, Shihouin Yorouichi_

"What is up with this letter? It's pretty messed up…" Kisuke smiled, It was just like her to write something like this. So there really was no other way.Yorouichi was only thinking of his safety. She was sacrificing her freedom for him… If he saved her now, and end up dying in the process, Yorouichi's sacrifice would have been for nothing. Now he understood. She didn't do it because she didn't want to be with him anymore, it was for his own benefit. He would have to bring himself to accept the fact that they couldn't be together. He didn't think it'd be possible for him to go on like this… but he has to. He promised her after all. _As If you had never met me in the first place. _Her words stuck to him like glue. It wasn't going to be easy, but he had to at least try.

* * *

_A/n: I deeply apologize for the oh so long delay… :-( __ I sank my teeth on this book series and I was, and still am, intoxicated by its venom. I just couldn't concentrate on anything else. Sorry…_


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n: I'm still alive! Sorry it took aeons... Gomen ne... **

* * *

A year… Three hundred sixty five days, eight thousand seven hundred sixty hours, and five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. That's how long it took Urahara Kisuke to absorb himself on his inventions once more. That is also the time it took for him to be finally able to speak her name. When she left, and true love was forever lost, he couldn't bear it. It wasn't like someone just left him, it was as if someone had died. His heart had died. The first week after the tragic breakup, Kisuke wouldn't eat, drink, take a bath, or sleep. He would just lay wide awake in his bed, staring into nothing. He wasn't even crying. Isshin couldn't take it anymore. He punched Kisuke until some sense was knocked into him. And miraculously, it had worked, he was eating again. But he still wouldn't go back to school. It only took a visit from the headmaster Tessai Tsukabishi, who was a close friend of his parents, to make him go back to the academy. He had promised his parents, on their death beds, that he would be a shinigami no matter what, the headmaster had reminded him of this, and he went back to the academy. But, he still wasn't the same. He avoided hanging out with his friends during breaks, answered the teachers rudely, he barely touched his creations and he shrugged off his fans at the academy. He didn't talk much, he was always seen at the rooftop by himself, sleeping and sometimes just staring off into space. Isshin and the others had given him time on his own, but they were not sure if he would go back to his old self.

They didn't know when it started, but Kisuke gradually began to hang out with them again. He was even pulling pranks again. It occurred to them that he only needed time. Time was what he needed to heal. He was going to be okay.

When Kisuke went back to the academy, he was easily able to cope up with the lessons he missed before. Now on his last year at the academy, Kisuke was at the top of his class as usual. He diligently attended his classes, and had even accepted his tutoring duties and had even become more engrossed in his inventions but he wasn't the same Kisuke as before. He acted like everything was normal and he looked like he was just fine, but his friends new better, there was something missing in him. It pained his friends to see him like that.

Kisuke woke up an hour early, which was rare of course, since most of the time he would just wake up ten minutes before classes would start. He shrugged out of bed and took a quick shower before putting on his academy uniform. He decided to go to school early, Isshin's snoring was too damn loud anyway and it was echoing throughout their small house... He wouldn't be able to go back to sleep at all. He wrote a quick note to Isshin telling him about going on ahead to the academy and left it at the dining table. He walked through the busy streets of Western Ryukongai, towards the Shinigami Academy. He took a different route, since it was still early. He passed through a familiar place, a very memorable one. A tall sakura tree, amidst the vast green fields of this part of the district. He clutched at his heart, trying to will away the pain on the hole in his heart. This was where they had first met. The memory was clear to him, as if it was just yesterday. He could vividly remember every small detail that day, the way the air blew through her purple hair, the way her lips curved when she snapped at him, the look of astonishment on her face when she first tasted his cooking, how she had ordered him around that day, everything. He still couldn't grasp it, the fact that she was no longer with him. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to move on, to be with someone again as she had told him. Was it even possible? How is it possible to forget someone you've loved and cherished for almost 5 years?

He sat on the boulder, the same one he had found her sitting on when they first met. He promised her he would move on, but where to start? How do you move on? Should he ask Isshin for his help? Ask Retsu for advice? Or Jushiro and Shunsui perhaps? But then again, his friends had never experienced something like this before. What would they know about moving on? He sighed to himself. His friends would not be of help at all, but he would just be needing them as support, he would have to figure out all this moving on thing on his own. But then again, he told the others that he was just fine, and there was nothing to worry about, he'd have to be more careful about his actions, his friends would definitely fuss over him if ever he broke down into tears or something and he wouldn't want that to happen.

"Umm…?" Kisuke jolted in surprise at the voice and fell off the boulder unto the hard ground.

"The f-ck?!" he gasped in surprise. A young woman was staring down at him.

"S-sorry about that… I didn't mean to surprise you…" she spoke softly, her voice was like a melody.

"No it's okay. It wasn't your fault." he said as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Can I help you?"

"No… I was just… Well you were looking a little pale and I was wondering if you were okay..." the girl said shyly.

"Err no… I was just thinking of things…" he replied. Kisuke then noticed that the girl was wearing the red academy uniform for girls. "Oh so you're a student from the academy too?" This girl didn't look familiar to him at all. Was she a freshman perhaps?

"Yes… I'm a fifth year…of sorts…how about you?" she asked.

"Oh so you don't know me?" It was really surprising. Kisuke was one of the most popular students at the academy, how could someone not know him? And she's a fifth year! Kisuke has been famous at the academy since his 1st year!

"No sorry… But you do look familiar, I think I've seen you at the cafeteria a couple of times. I think your name is Ugawara something… I'm new at the academy you see…"

"Close enough. But you said you were a fifth year?" He asked, slightly confused.

"I was home-schooled by my uncle… and I just took the examinations this year and I was able to jump straight to 5th year…" she explained.

"Oh I see… So that's why I haven't seen you around before." That answered his question. Kisuke stared at the girl closely, She was really beautiful. She had long wavy brown hair, green eyes, and a pale complexion, she looked as if she was part of the nobility. "So do you live around here?" he asked.

"Yes… Just a little ways from here. I was on my way to the academy…"

"The academy! Right! I almost forgot about school!" Kisuke said. The girl giggled softly.

"That's what I thought…. Let's go then, We don't want to be late…" she said as she smiled at him.

"Right…" he turned to walk towards the academy.

"Uhmm…" the girl began as she stopped on her tracks.

"Yes?" he turned back.

"Well you were looking kinda gloomy back there, and I was wondering if you were feeling sick or something…" she said, there was shyness in the tone of her voice.

"Me? Sick? Of course not! I just woke up a little early and I'm still a bit sleepy… Err… So what's your name?" he finally asked.

"Sayuri… Sohma Sayuri…"

* * *

"EHH?! Sasakibe's niece?!" exclaimed Kuukaku

"And she's hot to boot?!" added Isshin

"Sasakibe's niece is hot? What is the world coming to?!" added Kuukaku

"Kuukaku-chan… do you still bear a grudge on Sasakibe-sensei for failing you last year?" said Retsu

"Are you talking about Sayuri-chan? She's in some of our classes…" said Ise Nanao as she joined them at their usual table at the cafeteria with Kuchiki Byakuya. The two had become regulars in their group.

"Really? But she said she was a fifth year…" said Kisuke. Nanao and Byakuya were both on their fourth year at the academy.

"Yeah but she's taking up a few fourth year classes too. Do you know her Kisuke-sempai?" asked Nanao

"Sort of. I met her on the way to school. Oh look there she is…" said Kisuke. Sayuri entered the cafeteria, carrying heavy looking books with her, she sat on an empty table alone.

"So you really weren't kidding when you said she was good-looking!" Isshin gasped out loud. Retsu glared at him.

"She doesn't talk much, that girl. It's already been weeks since she entered the academy but she still doesn't have friends. A couple of guys in our class were making a pass at her but she just ignored them… She's a really weird girl…" said Nanao

"Really? I think she's nice… Oh crap I forgot I had tutoring duties today! Catch you guys later!" Kisuke dashed out of the cafeteria. Isshin spoke up when Kisuke was out of ear-shot.

"Kisuke thinks she's nice?! That's the first time I've heard him compliment another person! Does this mean…?" began Isshin

"We can't be too sure. He might still be in pain even if he acts like everything's okay." said Retsu

"Poor sempai…" Nanao sighed.

"Too bad I had gotten over my infatuation. His mental capacity is weak at the moment, I could have easily seduced him…" said Kuukaku.

"Nah… Your boobs may have been bigger than Yorouichi's but Kisuke still wouldn't dig you…" said Isshin as a-matter-of-factly. Kuukaku lunged herself forward and grabbed Isshin by his collar.

"I just remembered." interrupted Byakuya in his usual monotone voice. The others stared at him in surprise.

"What is it Byakuya-kun?"

"I heard some professors talking this morning. They were saying something about mixing the entire graduating class since there are only a few of you left.…" he told them. It was common knowledge that some students were not able to survive the intense training and they would drop out. Only a handful of students reach the 6th year.

"WHAT?! How did you know?" asked Isshin, as he grabbed Byakuya's collar while Kuukaku was still holding him. The young noble glared at them both, and Isshin immediately let go, and so did Kuukaku.

"I was passing by the faculty." he answered.

"Do you know what this means?! Kisuke and Yorouichi are going to be in the same class together!!!" said Isshin "We can't allow her and Kisuke be in the same room!" said Isshin. After the break up, Yorouichi went back to the academy as well, but she had insisted on being transferred to another class.

"But it's not like they don't see each other in the halls…" Retsu spoke.

"This is different! They'll be in the same room! Kisuke always acts as if he couldn't see her whenever she walks by, but it will be different in the classroom!" he exclaimed.

"How is it different?"

"There are only thirty two 6th years left. Knowing Sasakibe, he'd probably seat us alphabetically so we wouldn't be seated with our friends. Yorouichi's last name is S and I don't know any 6th years whose last name ends with a T so…"

"They'd be seated next to each other?!" said Kuukaku "Kisuke might kill himself from the torture, or he might even spontaneously combust or something!"

"Do you even know what spontaneous combustion is …?" Byakuya said

"That would be bad for Kisuke's health…" said Retsu

"Isn't there something we could do?" Nanao said.

"We have to prevent this from happening no matter what!" Isshin spoke in a panicked voice

"How?" said Byakuya

"We'll have to think of something!"

"Oooooh! I just thought of something brilliant! Listen!" said Kuukaku as they all huddled together, except Byakuya of course, who looked so repulsed at the idea of huddling.

* * *

"What am I doing here with these idiots?" said Byakuya in his cool and composed voice.

"Bear with it for a while, Byakuya-kun." suggested Nanao

"Still I can't believe Kuukaku of all people would be able to come up with such a plan?! Oh there he is! Retsu, He's all yours!" said Isshin, as Retsu nodded. The rest of them hid from under the stairwell as Retsu climbed the stairs to the faculty room as she gave them a quick nod.

* * *

"Oi Kurotsuchi! Sorry I'm late…" Kisuke said, as he slid inside the vacant classroom used by the student tutors. He was surprised to see that his protégé was nowhere inside the room. "Huh… That's weird. He's usually on time…"

"Urahara! There you are!!" an effeminate man with long, wavy, blond hair approached him from behind. He was a 6th year and was also a student tutor.

"Otoribashi-sempai! Have you seen Kurotsuchi?" asked Kisuke

"Oh they haven't told you about your new assignment? Kurotsuchi was given to another tutor."

"What? Sensei didn't tell me anything about this…"

"It was last minute. You're assigned to a new student. Here she is…"

"Hello…" It was Sohma Sayuri, the girl he met earlier. She was still carrying a lot of books.

"Well I gotta go. Sorry 'bout the delay on the info Urahara. See yah!"

"Hi again…" greeted Kisuke. The girl looked up to face him as she dropped her books on the nearest table.

"Hi… So you're my tutor?" she asked, her voice had no trace of the shyness she had earlier. Her voice sounded a bit smug to Kisuke.

"Yes. I forgot to introduce myself today, I'm Urahara Kisuke." Kisuke held out his hand to shake the girl's hand.

"I know. My uncle told me…" she said, completely ignoring Kisuke's outstretched hand.

"Right… So uhh… should we start then?" he asked. It was weird, the girl was friendly to him this morning… where did all that go?

"Before we start, I just want to say that I take my studies very seriously, I aspire to complete my studies here at the academy as soon as possible, I don't want to be tutored by someone who has a reputation for slacking off." she said. Kisuke was shocked, this girl had a really feisty side to her. Her uncle must've told her about him skipping classes.

"Err… Don't worry, I don't plan on skipping class anymore so you can count on me!" Kisuke said, using his most convincing voice.

"Show me first…"

"Huh?"

"I want to see how good you really are. Show me what you can do. Tutor-san…" said the girl as she grinned slyly.

"Ohh… Well if you really want to… I'll start with kidou then…" Kisuke turned to face a nearby dummy target. "Red Lightning!" bellowed Kisuke. A bolt of lightning with flames on the edges shot out from Kisuke's hand and disintegrated the target dummy to dust.

"Combining two destructive spells huh… Interesting…Okay you pass. I'll let you tutor me…" said Sayuri as she grinned at him.

"Do you have multiple personality disorder or something?" Kisuke asked, disbelief written all over his face. This girl really is weird!

"I get that a lot… I've been this way since I was a kid, I've always been weird maybe that's why I've been home-schooled. I bet you're thinking I'm a freak huh?" asked Sayuri

"No not really… I'm a bit of a freak myself." Kisuke joked.

"Then we're going to get along just fine then, Urahara. Sorry about that, I just really really want to be a shinigami, I just wanted to make sure that you were good enough and you were serious about being a shinigami too." she explained.

"Yeah well, I may be like this, but I can be serious too you know." said Kisuke

"I can tell. So let's get started, shall we?"

"Okay. Oh but before we start, you should know that I don't tutor on zanjutsu…" he said. A memory flashed to him once again, a painful one.

"Huh?! Why not?!" she demanded.

"It's a long story…."

"Then make it short." she said, or more like she commanded him.

"Well err… I was tutoring someone and I got a bit carried away, err I mean I got REALLY carried away and she…she… almost died…" he said. Even though it was something that had happened 3 years ago, the memory was clear to him. "Long story cut short, I vowed never to tutor anyone ever again in zanjutsu. That's it."

"Doesn't seem like a very long story. But you have to teach me! Zanjutsu is my weakest subject!"

"Sorry… You'll have to find someone else! Shall we start the day with kido then?" he said, abruptly changing the subject.

"Tch. Fine." she pouted. " But let me tell you this, I swear upon all that is holy, that I would make you teach me!" said Sayuri as she pointed his finger at Kisuke dramatically.

"Fat chance…" he grinned slyly.

* * *

"You sure it's gonna work out? Everything's in order?" Isshin asked Retsu in a low voice. Isshin, Retsu, and Kisuke who was walking in front of them were all heading for the academy.

"Yeah. He was actually very cooperative." said Retsu as she grinned at him.

"Hmph…" he shrugged

"Don't tell me you're jealous? You're the one who said yes first to Kuukaku's idea." she said

"I know… But I hate that jerk! He's so annoying!!!" exclaimed Isshin, Kisuke turned to look back at his friends.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked

"Me and my dearest Retsu? Fighting? Why of course not! We were just discussing something! Ahehe…" Isshin laughed nervously.

"You're not… hiding something from me are you?" he asked, rasing an eyebrow

"N-no! What's there to hide? We've been best friends since childhood!"

"You're acting weird Isshin… Oh well…" Kisuke continued to walk toward the academy.

"Can you be a little more inconspicuous? Kisuke saw right through you…" whispered Retsu

"Sorry…"

"Oh hey Isshin, You go on ahead without me after classes okay? I'm going to the 12th squad headquarters later."

"The Captain has asked you for tea again? Hey maybe she's going to recruit you in her squad after you graduate!" said Isshin

"I sure hope so! Captain Hikifune is really nice, I hope she'll take me in…"

"I'm sure she will. She likes you after all." said Retsu

"Yeah she's really cool. Oh hey have you heard about the 6th years being put in one class? I think they're starting it today." said Kisuke

"So I've heard… Err Kisuke?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to be okay?' Isshin asked, Retsu elbowed him on the ribs for not being subtle.

"You don't need to answer that, Kisuke…" Retsu said as she looked at him apologetically.

"Well sure, I'd be lying if I said I won't be completely unaffected by her presence but, don't worry 'bout me! I'll be fine!" he answered, smiling back to his most trusted friends.

"But think of it this way, Mashiba's gonna be there! Now that's something to look forward to!" said Isshin. Mashiba Kyou was a 6th year at the academy blessed with good looks and born from the nobility but is also a stuck up know-it-all bastard, Kisuke took pleasure in teasing the guy. Although intellect-wise, he's no match for Kisuke, Mashiba considers him as his rival for the affections of the school's female population.

"Oh yeah! I better come up with ways to torture him this year! Hehe…" Kisuke fell silent, devising ways on pissing someone off was a thing he and Yorouichi used to do.

"Kisuke?"

"Eh? I was just thinking, since its our last year at the academy, I'm gonna miss pissing him off…" he quickly answered. When the three of them got to the academy, the sixth years were scattered on the halls of the third floor of the east building. Upon arriving at their classroom, the 6th years of class 2 were also inside. The sensei seated them alphabetically.

"Shihouin!" called the sensei. He couldn't help but react to the name as he looked up. Yorouichi took her assigned seat, without looking at the rest of the class. Was it just him, or was he particularly more snobby than before. Then he saw her glare at the boy to her left who she sat next to. It wasn't just him then, she was definitely in a bad mood.

"Sohma!" the name caught Kisuke's attention as well. Why was she here? Didn't she say she was a 5th year? Sohma Sayuri took the seat to the right of Yorouichi as she settled down.

"Urahara!" called the sensei, Kisuke then took his assigned seat. So the weird girl from yesterday was going to be his seatmate then.

"Hey…" he greeted. The girl simply nodded at him. "I think you have some explaining to do…" he added.

"Huh?" the girl asked, looking confused.

"Aren't you a 5th year?"

"I was miraculously accelerated into the 6th year just yesterday… It was quite a shock. But let me tell you that I didn't kill someone or pulled some strings or something like that." she told him, The other 6th years had been eyeing her with disgust and jealousy, it was rare that the academy had someone accelerated. The last know offer was to Kisuke of course, but was retracted when he had incurred a lot of absences.

"Huh… So you weren't kidding when you said you were weird…"

"Told you so… I guess this means we're gonna be classmates then, tutor-san" said Sayuri as she extended her hand and Kisuke shook it.

"Urahara is fine, Sohma-san" he said as he smiled at her.

"Then take out the 'san' too." she smiled back. Sayuri then turned and faced the person sitting to her left and introduced herself. "I'm Sayuri Sohma." she said as she also held out her hand.

"Shihouin Yorouichi." she replied, ignoring Sayuri's extended hand. She pulled it back and stared curiously at the girl beside her. She leaned on her right side and whispered to Kisuke.

"Nice to meet you… I hope we could be good friends." said Sayuri

"Not a chance…" said Yorouichi

"Why not?"

"I don't make friends with commoners who stink of Ryukongai…" she replied. Sayuri then leaned closer to Kisuke.

"What's with this girl? " she whispered.

"Beats me…" Yorouichi had been like this for a year now, back to how she was before Kisuke met him.

"I bet she's having PMS or something, or maybe she's really just one of those stuck up nobles. And here I was acting all friendly towards her… Why did I even bother?" Sayuri sighed. Although Sayuri was whispering to Kisuke, It was loud enough for Yorouichi to hear.

"What did you say?" said Yorouichi, glaring at the new girl.

"Oh sorry If I wasn't speaking loud enough for your benefit, Shihouin-sama. The world doesn't revolve around you, FYI." said Sayuri. Yorouichi's eyes widened in shock.

"How dare you! Know your place, peasant!" she exclaimed.

"I do know my place! Just because you're a noble, it doesn't mean I have to worship the ground you walk on!" she retorte. Kisuke couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Yorouichi's nostrils were flaring in anger.

"No one has ever dared to speak to me that way!" Yorouichi said.

"Oh I'm the first? Well gee! It makes me feel so special!" she answered sarcastically.

"Err… Sohma?" Kisuke was tugging at Sayuri's uniform, he figured it was time he stepped in and stop the little scene.

"What's going on back there?" asked the sensei as he stopped writing on the board.

"Shihouin-san was acting like a big bad meanie, sensei!" said Sayuri as she spoke in a small, sweet voice. The class had then started giggling, that did it for Yorouichi, She lunged at the girl, and her fist was about to collide with the girl's face, but it landed on someone else's face instead. Sayuri had grabbed Kisuke by his collar and had used his face as a shield against Yorouichi.

"Oww!!"

* * *

"I said I was sorry…"

"My cheek, my poor cheek…" whimpered Kisuke as he rubbed his bruised cheek. Sayuri had offered to take him to the infirmary.

"I could heal it with kido if you want… It'll heal faster!"

"My friend Retsu is an excellent healer, she'll fix me up later. Why did you grab me anyway?" he demanded.

"It's a reflex! When you're about to be punched in the face, you instinctly grab the nearest object you could find and use it as a shield!" she defended.

"Huh? That's just wrong! When you see a fist coming at you, your first instinct would be to dodge it!" said Kisuke

"Ehh?! Really?" she asked, stunned at Kisuke's revelation.

"You are indeed, the weirdest person I've ever met."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Maybe…"

"Sorry again, that girl was just so rude! I don't like being treated that way! You're from Ryukongai too right? Weren't you insulted too?" she asked.

"I guess… But you didn't need to let her hear your comments, that was also rude."

"She started it anyway… What's the deal with that girl?"

"Well… I don't really know her that well…" Kisuke answered, there was a certain truth in his words, he thought he knew everything about her, but he had been wrong about that.

"I bet she doesn't have that much friends, Nobles are so stuck up! She's worse than that kouhai friend of yours, Byakugan-kun or something…" For a new student, she sure knows a lot about the groups at the academy.

"It's Byakuya. Those two are friends you know."

"They are? I hope she's not polluting the boy's mind with her stuck up ideals!" she said. Kisuke laughed at her.

"What's so funny?" she asked

"Well when I first met you, I thought you were really shy and delicate, but I guess I judged you too early."

"Don't judge me, I'm not a book you know…" she said. Kisuke laughed again.

"You know, you may be a little weird, but you're actually fun to hang out with." said Kisuke

"So does that mean we're okay? You forgive me?"

"I guess..." he answered.

"Friends?"

"Sure, why the hell not? Life's bound to become more interesting with a weirdo like you around."

"Was that another compliment?"

"Don't let it get to your head."

* * *

a/n: new oc... hope you like sayuri, she's a really funny girl. No promises on the next chapter, i'm uber busy... So sorry! Reviews please. Thank you!


	16. Chapter 16

Darkness was all he could see, wide, infinite space of pure darkness, he couldn't even see himself. He started to run, as fast as he could to escape the darkness, but nothing happened, the darkness was overwhelming him and was consuming him. He sank to the ground in desperation.

"_Ki…su…ke_…" a voice had called out to him, soft and fading.

"Who's there?" he shouted, but still, the darkness was all he could see.

"_you…know… who… I… am_…"

"Wait! Who are you?" the voice, although very faint, sounded female.

"_You will… know_… _soon_…" The voice had completely disappeared.

"Wait!!" he called, as he stood up, there was light again, he started to focus his eyes to the light, and saw… Sasakibe's face in front of him. He blinked twice… so he was dreaming then.

"I know that my classes are boring you Urahara, but it is unacceptable for you to fall asleep during class!" bellowed the sensei. The class had erupted into laughter.

"S-sorry sensei…" he said as he scratched the back of his head. "I've been lacking sleep lately…"

"Hmph, Well it's not like sending you to detention again would do you any good, but can't you at least try not to fall asleep again?" said Sasakibe

"I'll try…" he answered as the sensei returned to the front of the classroom. Kisuke sat down on his chair.

"Bad dream?" asked a good-looking girl with long wavy brown hair and green eyes.

"Sorta… That recurring dream again…" he told her

"Oh? Is that why you've been lacking sleep?" asked Sayuri

"Yeah… A voice is calling out to me… I think it was a woman…"

"A woman? Are you having perverted dreams perhaps?" she asked, still with a serious expression on her beautiful face.

"Sohma! O-of course not!"

"Defensive, much?" she smirked at him.

"You're really annoying sometimes." he sighed. Sohma Sayuri, the new girl, had been great friends with Kisuke for three weeks now, why wouldn't they be? Kisuke was her tutor, and they were classmates on top of that, they spend at the least 8 hours a day together, and she was instantly accepted into their group. She had even been helping him out with his inventions. Kisuke had been laughing more than ever since they became friends, she was fun to hang out with, there was never a boring day with Sayuri around. They were similar in a way, As it turned out, Sayuri was actually a very talented student, she was very good in kidou, hakuda, and even hoho, it was no surprise that she was accelerated into the 6th year. Although, it did surprise him when their class had started their zanjutsu training… she was… not at all talented in that area. It was quite a funny sight in fact, she tripped at least ten times, and accidentally dropped her sword more than once. She didn't have a strong grip at all. After that class, she had begged Kisuke once more, to help her out with her zanjutsu, but Kisuke told her he could only give her a few tips and that was it, she stuck her tongue out at him and said, I'll make you tutor me someday! Making it sound like it was a challenge. The bell then started ringing, which signaled the end of the morning classes. Kisuke put his things back into his bag and was about to stand when 'she' had called him.

"I'd like to have a word with you Urahara." said Yorouichi, as she spoke, she didn't look at him directly. Kisuke was quite surprised, they haven't talked for over a year.

"S-sure…" he said. Sayuri had noticed the exchange between the two. "Sohma, go on ahead, tell the others I'll be a bit late. Sayuri nodded and gathered her things and exited the classroom. Yorouichi waited until everyone else had cleared out of the room before she spoke.

"I owe you an apology." she said.

"Ehh?" Apology? What for? Was she about to apologize for what had happened then? Why only now?

"Two weeks ago, I punched you, it was a mistake but I never did apologize for it." she said, looking intently at the floor.

"Oh.." was all he managed to say. So he was wrong then.

"That friend of yours really annoyed me, and I couldn't help myself. Sorry." she said, Kisuke's chest started to ache, she was using the tone she used to use on him when they were alone together.

"It's fine, Don't worry about it. Your apology is a bit late but it doesn't matter, that was nothing." he replied, smiling at her, why he did so was beyond him, he was supposed to be mad at her for leaving!

"O-okay.." she stuttered. Then there was a moment of silence. Yorouichi stared at him again for the first time in a year. She had noticed a change in Kisuke, he was a bit taller, his hair was not as unruly as it used to be, he was a bit more muscular, and the contours of his face had become more defined, he has, in her opinion, grown more handsome. She couldn't help but feel a little red in the cheeks. Kisuke, in turn had noticed that she hadn't changed that much, still heart-achingly beautiful. There was something slightly off with her face though, there was a small but deep gash on her neck. What happened to her?

"So err… Was that all?" he asked. She probably wouldn't answer him if he asked anyway. But still, he wanted to know, he wanted to kill whoever it was that had harmed her. Kisuke brushed off the thought, he should not be feeling this way.

"Y-yes…" There were a lot of things she wanted to say to him, but she couldn't, she had promised herself she wouldn't.

"K-kisuke!" she called him, Kisuke felt his heart skip a beat at hearing her say his name. "I…" she began to say, Kisuke held his breath. "N-nothing…" she finished.

"Excuse me then." said Kisuke as he turned his back on her and walked away. A single tear had rolled out from Yorouichi. It's been a year! She shouldn't still be bothered by it, but she was, always was, and always will. Kisuke, in turn, felt the same way…

* * *

"Where's Kisuke?" Isshin asked Sayuri as he took a seat next to Retsu.

"That Shinouin girl called him after class, said she wanted a word with him." said Sayuri. Isshin's jaw dropped in surprise. It wasn't the only drop that occurred. Nanao had dropped the pen she was holding, Kuukaku had dropped her chopsticks, Retsu had dropped the book she was reading, and Byakuya… Well… he looked indifferent.

"W-w-w-w-w-what?!!" Kuukaku bellowed.

"Did you not hear me Kurosagi? I said that…"

"N-n-no! I heard you! And it's Kurosaki!" exclaimed Isshin

"What could she possibly want to talk to Kisuke about?" said Retsu

"Could it be… about what happened?" said Nanao

"But why only now? That doesn't make any sense…" said Kuukaku

"Why are you all stressed out about this? I mean what's the big deal?" asked Sayuri, all their attention turned towards her.

"It's none of your business." said Byakuya, apparently, he didn't like the new girl that much, she constantly annoyed him.

"Shut it, Kuchiri-kun." she snapped at him, the vein in Byakuya's forehead twitched. Nanao had to pat him to snap out of his annoyance.

"So err… Kisuke hasn't told you about it?" asked Isshin

"Told me what?" she raised her eyebrow.

"That they were… erhmm…"

"Hey guys!" speak of the devil, Kisuke then took a seat and grabbed a handful of food from Byakuya's plate, he glared at him of course.

"What did the stuck-up heiress want to talk about?" asked Sayuri

"Huh? Well she just wanted to apologize for accidentally punching me two weeks ago." he answered, the rest of them, Sayuri excluded, sighed in relief.

"Took her long enough."

"So that was it?" inquired Isshin

"Yeah. Isshin, I'm dropping by the 12th later, wanna come along?" asked Kisuke, as he changed the subject.

"Sorry man, I'm helping out Retsu at the library…"

"When you say '12th'… are you referring to the 12th squad?" asked Sayuri

"Uh-huh. Kisuke here is good friends with the Captain."

"Really?! You have got to take me with you!!" she said excitedly.

"Why do I have to take you?"

"Because I'll slice off your skin, deep fry it and feed it to the hollows if you don't take me with you…" she grinned mischievously at him.

"You? Slice off my skin? You couldn't even hold your sword steadily in your hand!" he teased.

"I'll do it without a sword then! Just please take me with you!!!" she begged, giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"Tch… Fine… Don't embarrass yourself in front of the captain by saying weird stuff, okay?"

"I'll try! Yes! I finally get to meet a real Gotei 13 captain!"

"You look so excited, Sayuri-chan…" said Nanao

"Of course! I've never been to a squad headquarters before!' she exclaimed, she was like a little kid, being all excited like that. Kisuke found it cute.

"Crap, I forgot that the headmaster wanted to see me. There goes my lunch break. Oi Sohma, you were supposed to meet with the headmaster too right? Let's go then." said Kisuke.

"Right. See ya guys. Later, Byakugan-kun!" she called as she winked at Byakuya to annoy the poor kid. The vein in Byakuya's forehead popped and it took the combined efforts of Isshin, Kuukaku, Nanao, and Retsu to calm him down.

* * *

The last bell of the day echoed through the halls of the east building and was met with such joy and excitement, it was the end of the school week. Students hurriedly vacated the building in anticipation of the three day break, The academy was going to be used by the Gotei 13 for confidential purposes, classes had to be cancelled.

"Any plans for the break?" asked Sayuri. They were making their way towards the 12th squad headquarters.

"I'll probably work on project no. 2571..."

"The reiatsu concealer? Still not working effectively?" she asked

"It works all right, but it's too bulky, I need to make it smaller somehow…"

"Why not try make it more compact, like make it appear like an accessory or something…" she suggested.

"Like bracelet, or a necklace?"

"Yeah, or like an eye patch!"

"Eye-patch? Weirdo…"

"You should compress the reiatsu output down to 60% if the normal frequency becomes unstable."

"Hmm… Maybe… I think 70% would work but I'd have to reduce the scale to 2:5, it would probably still work if I do that…" he said. He could only have this sort of conversations with Sayuri, she was the only one who understood this stuff anyway.

"Can I try it on after you complete it?"

"You sure? You're still willing to be my test subject despite what happened last time?" he asked. Sayuri was more than willing to be the guinea pig for Kisuke's recent inventions, she was fascinated with the idea of course, it was after all, in her weird nature.

"Yeah why not, You could pay me though, If it would make you feel better. I know just the payment I want…" she began to say, but was cut off by Kisuke.

"That again? Can you just drop it Sohma? I already gave you a few tips on zanjutsu."

"I won't drop it, not ever, not until you say yes!" she persisted. Kisuke sighed, she was quite the character.

"We're here…" He pointed out to a tall gate, written in bold was the number 12.

"Hey Urahara! The captain's waiting for you! She's talking with someone though, there she is." Hikifune strolled out into the grounds of the 12th squad headquarters accompanied by a small blond haired female shinigami in pigtails. She was looking at the captain with deep idolization in her eyes.

"Oh! Urahara-kun! Have you brought those pills I ordered for the fourth squad? What are they called again?" asked the 12th squad captain.

"Energy Pills version 3.5! The fourth squad liked them, eh? That's good to know!"

"You're inventions are flawless. Oh so you brought a friend?" asked the female captain.

"Hai, This is Sohma Sayuri, she's in my class." Sayuri bowed to the Captain.

"It's an honor to meet you, Hikifune-taichou. I've heard so much about you from my Uncle." she said. Kisuke was surprised, she was actually speaking so politely!

"Your Uncle?"

"Sasakibe fuku-taichou of the 1st squad…" she replied.

"Ah, Choujiro-san's niece eh? You're very pretty! It's hard to believe you're his niece!" the captain joked, Urahara and Sayuri laughed, the blond girl hiding behind the captain, didn't. "Ah right, let me introduce a new addition to the squad. This is Sarugaki Hiyori, she's the 11th seat."

"Hi…" greeted Kisuke, as he offered his hand, she didn't take it, instead he glared at him.

"Well, she's a little shy. Hiyori-chan, why don't you stroll around the headquarters?" said Hikifune

"Hai, Taichou." she said hesitantly as she walked away.

"Join me for tea then! I've got those sweets you like Urahara." The captain gestured for both of them to enter the sitting room. Kisuke and Sayuri sat down on the tatami mats. (a/n: the 12th div doesn't look like a creepy computer room yet, it's still quite old-fashioned) The captain and the two had conversations about various things, Kisuke's inventions, events at the academy and some other stuff. The captain liked Sayuri a lot, she was all kinds of weird. She was laughing so hard at her jokes.

"You're really funny, Sayuri-chan! It's a good thing Urahara-kun brought you here!"

"You're fun to talk with too Taichou! It's a good thing I kindly asked him to take me along!" she said.

"Kindly asked? You threatened to skin me alive!" said Kisuke, the captain laughed again.

"Haha… Oh that's right, Urahara-kun, Shihouin's heiress is your classmate right?"

"Yes." he answered as he looked down.

"Have you heard about what happened with her husband, Nakatsu Touya?"

"N-no…"

"Well, he was found guilty of pilfering the clan's heirlooms, and he even attempted to take his wife's life. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and was stripped of his noble rank. It was about time that prick got sent to prison, remember what I told you about him before? Turns out it was all true. The poor girl."

"I s-see… That sounds awful…" was all he managed to say. So that gash on her neck...That bastard Nakatsu was lucky he was in prison, Kisuke would kill him brutally if he wasn't there. Sayuri had noticed the look of anger on Kisuke's face.

"But at least he's paying for his crimes now! Oh my is that the time? It's almost midnight… Sorry I kept you so long…" said Hikifune

"It's fine Taichou, I had fun talking to you." said Sayuri

"You better come by again Urahara-kun, and you too Sayuri-chan!"

"Of course… We'll be heading off then, taichou." said Kisuke as they stood up and bowed to the captain.

"It's dangerous at night, I could have some of my men take you home" she offered.

"It's okay taichou, we're Shinigami candidates after all, dealing with a couple of thugs is a piece of cake for us."

"You're right. Well take care then!" Kisuke and Sayuri then left the headquarters and were walking towards the dark night into Ryukongai, the moon was the only visible light.

"Urahara…"

"Hmm?"

"That noble girl Shinouin, is she someone important to you?" she asked, she looked serious.

"What's this, all of a sudden?" he asked

"I've just noticed, every time her name is mentioned you have this hurt expression on your face, and when you found out that her husband had hurt her, you looked ready to kill." said Sayuri, she was spot on.

"Heh… You saw right through me…" he surpressed a laugh. They had only known each other for weeks, but she was able to figure him out easily.

"I knew it. I'm a genius…" she said, grinning at him.

"Don't steal my title…"

"Was it… A terrible break up?" she asked.

"You could say that…" he replied.

"Do you still love her?" she asked bluntly.

Kisuke paused for a while before he answered. "I do… But I don't want to have feelings like this anymore. I… shouldn't still have feelings for her, it's been a year… But I… can't help it…" he told her, this was the first time he had ever talked about his feelings openly with someone.

"So you… Want to get over her?"

"I really do… But… It's just so hard… I see her at the academy everyday, it's difficult to forget about her…" Kisuke had then stopped walking… tears formed around his eyes. Sayuri walked towards him, and surprised him by wrapping her arms around him.

"It's okay to cry you know, you must've been holding it in for months, let it all out. I bet you'd feel better. You can cry on me all you want. I swear I won't tell the others about this…" she said as she comforted him and hugged him closer. That did it, his tears flowed down his cheeks, as he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Thanks…" he whispered.

"I won't tell the others about this, but you have to bribe me though…" she said, Kisuke laughed.

"Zanjutsu again?" he said

"Yup…"

"Heh… You're really weird…"

"You're weird too. You're crying and laughing at the same time." said Sayuri

"I have this tendency to act weird when I'm around weirdos like you…"

"Hey, Urahara."

"Yeah?"

"Do you really want to forget about her?"

"I really do… I don't want to feel this way anymore…"

"Then… Would you like to go out with me?" she asked, her voice was stern and serious.

"You're so weird…" he told her. She still hadn't let go of him.

"I'm serious this time, believe it or not…"

"Heh…fine then…" Maybe this was the only way he could finally get over her…

* * *

a/n: sorry about the grammatical errors, I didn't edit this one… Reviews? Pwease?


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Good Morning Isshin!" greeted Kisuke as he walked into the house four figures were standing near the door. "Retsu? Jushiro-san, and Shunsui too? What are you all doing here so early?" They all had serious looks on their faces.

"It's 10 in the morning…" said Kyouraku as-a-matter-of-fact

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Isshin suddenly grabbed Kisuke by his collar, backed him into a wall and screamed at him. Kisuke, they noticed, was still wearing his shinigami academy uniform.

"H-hey, why so violent?" he asked, looking confused.

"YOU DIDN"T COME HOME LAST NIGHT!" he shouted at him as he shook him.

"Sheesh, calm down Isshin! You're acting like an overprotective dad you know?"

"Isshin was worried about you, he dropped by our houses looking for you when he realized that you didn't come home last night." said Retsu

"We thought something bad had happened to you…" added Ukitake, a worried look on his face.

"Something bad? Like what?" he inquired.

Isshin exchanged glances with the others. "Well er…"

"Like an accident?" Kyouraku butted in.

"Y-yeah! Something like that… Or maybe…"

"I see." Kisuke figured it out. "So you mean, you thought I was going to kill myself from depression, or something like that?" the look on their faces said he was right.

"A little bit…" Isshin mumbled. Looking away from him as he let Kisuke go.

"If I was going to commit suicide, I should have done that a year ago, You don't need to worry about that anymore…" he told them truthfully.

"Yeah but… You did almost starve yourself to death back then, and well… we thought that suicide was not that far off your list of things to do…" said Isshin

Kisuke sighed, Didn't his friends know him at all? Didn't they trust him not to do that kind of thing? "Of course I won't do that. It's been a year! I'm over it already…"

"Kisuke…"

"Well yeah I'm still not completely over it but, I'm trying, okay? And seriously you guys, Me? Suicide? I still have lots of projects to complete before I die! Committing suicide is the least of my worries!" Sometimes his friends had such far off ideas, but at least they were good friends.

"So then, where were you?" Retsu finally asked.

"I was at Sayuri's place." he answered casually.

"Oh… Ehh, wait! What?!" exclaimed Isshin

"I took Sayuri with me to the 12th squad, don't you remember? The captain actually liked her, It took me by surprise actually…"

"Ah… And you spent the night at her place?!" demanded Isshin as he grabbed Kisuke again.

"We were up all night talking and she helped me out, Look!" Kisuke threw an eye patch to Isshin, he fumbled to catch it. "It took hours before we finished this one!"

"An eye patch? You spent the night at her place just to finish a freakin' an eye patch?!" demanded Isshin

"It's not just an eye patch! Put it on." he instructed him. Isshin did as he was told.

"Nothing's happening!"

"Amazing!!" Jushiro took a closer look at the eye patch. "And it just looks like an ordinary eye patch! Wow!"

"Huh? What?"

"Isshin's reiatsu is completely gone…" said Retsu

"Uh-huh! This allows you to hide your reiatsu, you wont be detected! Quite useful for stealth missions. Am I a genius or what?

"That's a really useful invention, Kisuke-kun. Our squad could definitely use this!" said Ukitake. Ukitake had graduated last year and upon graduation was accepted into the 13th squad.

"Hikifune-taichou would definitely order a bunch of these. Hehe.."

"But why an eye patch though? Can't you make it into something else?" asked Kyouraku

"I can but, the eye patch was Sayuri's idea." said Kisuke

"So who's this Sayuri you keep on mentioning?" asked Kyouraku

"A classmate of ours…" Retsu told him.

"It doesn't sound like she's just a classmate…" Kyouraku added.

"Wait, so you're on first name basis?" asked Isshin

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? She said I could call her that, she calls me by my name too…" Kisuke told them.

"I don't see something wrong with that too, it just means they've become closer friends." said Retsu as the others nodded along in agreement, she gave Kisuke the 'We'll-talk-later' look. Retsu was really sharp, you couldn't keep anything from her.

Kisuke had asked Sayuri if they could keep the fact that they were dating a secret, she had agreed, saying that it was better that way anyway, she didn't want to be smothered by his large number of fan girls. He wanted it to be a secret because he knew that if Isshin and the others did know, they would be completely against it.

Kisuke forcefully changed the topic. "So errhm… Why don't I cook for you guys? It's rare that the two senpais get to visit!"

"Yum! It's been a while since we've tasted your cooking Kisuke. But I'm afraid we'd have to leave soon…" said Jushiro, Shunsui had slapped him at the back

"Yeah but we'll eat first before we go. I'm starving!" said Kyouraku

"Haha… I'll get right to it, then!"

"I'll help you out, Kisuke." said Retsu, Kisuke gulped as Retsu dragged him towards the kitchen. Kisuke gathered the ingredients and scattered them on the table.

"So…" began Retsu

"So… what?"

"Explain."

"Explain what?" he pretended not to know what she was talking about.

"You know what…"

"What?"

"Don't test my patience Kisuke, you should know better…" she stated. Kisuke gulped in fear. Retsu is scary as hell when she's pissed. Kisuke began chopping some vegetables, she did the same.

"What do you want to know?" he finally gave up the charade.

"Why were you with Sayuri all night?"

"'Cause… uhmm… we're… errhh… sorta dating…" he said the last two words through a cough.

"WHAT?!" Retsu raised her voice, as she stopped cutting.

"Shh! Not so loud! I don't want the others to know yet…" Isshin had rushed into the Kitchen as he heard Retsu.

"Retsu, what's wrong?" he asked, looking worried.

"I was just surprised, I've been asking Kisuke about that assignment and it turns out I did it wrong…" she lied convincingly.

"Oh… Well don't scream like that okay? You got me worried over nothing…" said Isshin as he moved back to join the others. When Isshin was out of earshot, Retsu continued.

"How the hell did that happen?!" she demanded, as she lowered the tone of her voice. She still sounded mad though.

"Well uhmmm…" he didn't know where to start, but he tried to be as honest as possible to Retsu. Kisuke told her what had happened last night, except the part where he cried his eyes out on Sayuri's shoulder.

"Kisuke, that was really stupid…"

"Huh? Why?"

"Don't you think it's a little unfair to Sayuri-chan?"

"Unfair? How?"

"You're only dating her so you could move on from Yorouichi…" she said.

"Well yeah… but she was the one who insisted on it…"

"Then you should have declined. Don't you get it, Kisuke? She likes you! If you keep on dating her as a sort of rebound from Yorouichi, she'll eventually get hurt!" said Retsu.

"She…likes me?" he asked, a bit surprise at her revelation.

"Of course! Well she hasn't told me herself but, I'm pretty sure she does, call it my girly instinct or whatever, but I'm pretty sure she likes you."

"Then you might be wrong, she must be doing this as a sort of favor for all those times I helped her out in class. It doesn't mean that she likes me that way. You know Sayuri, she's a bit twisted in here." he said, pointing to his head.

"Sayuri may be a bit different, but she's still a girl, and she has feelings!"

"But she doesn't seem to mind me dating her as a rebound, then that must mean she doesn't really care about me that way." he tried to convince her.

"I'm absolutely sure that she likes you, and believe me when I say, you'll end up hurting her someday."

* * *

Kisuke pondered on Retsu's words all morning, during 1st period, and the next, and the next, until lunch break. Was Retsu right? Does Sayuri really like him that way? Sure, they hang out everyday, and they do have really interesting conversations and they were really friendly towards each other and he does have fun with her, but not once did it cross his mind that Sayuri could have fallen for him. Weren't girls supposed to be really shy around the guys they liked? But Sayuri acts normally around him. Retsu was probably mistaken, he thought. She probably offered the dating her thing on a whim, since he looked so weak that night, she must've felt pity towards him. This was probably a sort of charity on her part, like community service, he told himself. There was just no way that someone with a personality like Sayuri's could have fallen for him. But still, he couldn't help himself but think… being the scientist he was, he was very VERY curious to find out the answer. His anxiety had only lasted until lunch break, he couldn't hold it in anymore. The lunch bell started ringing and that was the signal he was waiting for. He abruptly stood up, and started swaying.

"Whoa, head rush." he muttered. Sayuri looked up to him as she gathered her books.

"You okay?" she asked. Unknown to the two, Yorouichi who sat next to Sayuri was pretending to be fixing her things but was in fact listening in.

"Yeah. Listen, there's something I wanna ask…" he said.

"Ask away… Just don't ask me for money… I'm on a tight budget." she replied.

"It's uhmm… sorta private. The roof?"

"Ok. Yo Kurosagi!" she called Isshin. "You and Retsu go ahead, we'll catch up to you later!" she continued.

"Hey how come you get her name right?!' he complained. Retsu locked gazes with Kisuke, glaring at him a bit as he shivered in fear remembering the conversation they had yesterday, then she dragged Isshin towards the exit.

"Shall we?" said Sayuri.

"Yeah…" They walked side by side and left the room. Yorouichi could only stare at their backs. What is he going to ask her? She wondered.

* * *

"Hey! Sorry I'm late…" said Yorouichi, as she dropped her things with a thud on the lunch table. The girls she sat with both jumped up in surprise.

"Yorouichi-sama! You're here!" A petite girl with short black hair greeted her with such adoring eyes and excitement.

"Don't wet your pants, Soi Fon." said a busty girl with long wavy auburn hair as she was combing her hair and holding up a small pocket mirror.

"Hey Yorouichi-senpai… How was class?" asked the other girl. She had short boyish gray hair, with a small braid on the side.

"It was fine…." she replied casually as she sat down. The girl with gray hair raised a knowing eyebrow at her. "Yeah it was torture as usual…" she admitted.

When she had parted ways with Kisuke and went back to being an obedient heiress, it devastated her. She felt like she was lying to herself, she was trying to be someone that she never was and never wants to be. She didn't think she'd make it through, she felt alone, she didn't have anyone to talk to, not her father, not her mother, no one. She felt completely lonely, and it didn't help that she thought of Kisuke every day. She missed him terribly. His unruly blonde hair, his crooked smile, his witty comments, everything about him. She didn't know how much longer she could keep on living like that, what with the added stress that her fiancé turned husband had put on her. He was a forceful man, but not once did she let him touch her, that was probably why he was so violent with her when she found out about his true intentions. He was about to kill her, and if it wasn't for Soi Fon, and the rest of the mobile corps, she would have been dead.

After that incident, she became closer to the young and brash Soi Fon, she adored Yorouichi like an older sister and she, in turn treated her like a younger sister. She then started hanging out with Soi Fon's classmates, who she instantly became close friends with. Matsumoto Rangiku, a bustling girl from the lower nobility, and Kotetsu Isane, a soft-spoken girl who was also from the lower nobility. Sure, she missed hanging out with her friends, Retsu especially, but with her new found friends, she felt at ease, she wasn't alone anymore. She had people who she could talk to about her true feelings. People who she could trust.

"Is he still ignoring you?" asked Isane. Yorouichi nodded. Urahara Kisuke had been ignoring her and acting as if she wasn't there even though they were just one seat apart ever since he became friends with the new girl Sayuri. Of course she expected it, what with their tragic break-up, but it hurt her like hell.

"How dare that commoner treat you like that! Why I…"

"Soi Fon, we've been over this! It was my fault anyway…" said Yorouichi as she frowned.

"You know, hasn't it ever occurred to you that you're not married anymore?" said Rangiku. The other girls turned to look at her.

"Yeah so?"

"So? That means you're a free woman!" she continued. Yorouichi gave her a confused look. Isane sighed.

"I am… So what about it?" she asked.

"It means that you are now free to do what you want!" exclaimed Rangiku

"Yeah I guess… I really do miss hanging out with Retsu and the other guys too. Father owes me big time because he was the one who forced me to get married so I think he'll allow me to talk to my commoner friends again…"

"You're missing the point!" said an irritated Rangiku.

"Huh? What are you saying?" asked Yorouichi who was clueless as to where the conversation was heading.

"Ugh… You're so unbelievably dense! Isane, can you explain to her? I'm gonna lose all my hair here!"

"What Rangiku is trying to say is that… Now is the right time to uhmm… Talk to Urahara again…" said Isane

"And get back together with him!" Rangiku finished.

"G-get back together?" she mumbled. Sure, she has had dreams of them being back together again, in which she would wake up crying, but how was it possible? He probably hates her. She had been thinking of the idea of getting back together with him for weeks now, but she didn't know how or where to start. "I d-don't think that's possible…"

"Well why not? He doesn't have a girlfriend, so that obviously means he's still not over you. I bet he'd take you back in an instant!" said Rangiku in an exasperated tone.

"But… he must hate me… He ignores me after all…"

"Well he may still have bitter feelings about the break-up but I'm sure he doesn't hate you. You've been in pain for the past year, and now its time for you to be happy again…" said Rangiku.

"I…" she began, a bit hesitant.

"Yorouichi-sempai… We want you to be happy. It pains us to see you this way. And we know that he's the only one who has ever made you truly happy. Even Soi Fon agrees, Ne, Soi Fon-chan?" Isane nudged Soi Fon as she struggled with words. She was not a very big fan of the popular genius.

""Well… if he really makes you happy, I guess I'd be okay with it. But I swear! If he ever makes you cry, I'm going too hurt him so bad!" she said. Yorouichi smiled at her friend/protégé.

"You guys… I guess I do deserve happiness again! After everything I've been through… I want to be with him! And if he doesn't take me back, I'll try over and over again until he changes his mind!" she exclaimed, her new resolve strong and willful.

"That's the spirit! It's still lunch break and I don't see him around the cafeteria. Go and find him!" urged Rangiku. Yorouichi nodded as she stood up, smiled back to her friends, and left the cafeteria in search of the love of her life.

* * *

She knew of only one place where he usually spent the lunch break, it was usually at the roof, she headed there as fast as her legs could take her, and was there in seconds. (Goddess of Flash, duh!) She noticed that the door was slightly opened, she peeked through the small gap and saw him standing there, but he wasn't alone. The girl Sohma Sayuri from their class was with him. And then she remembered the conversation that she overheard earlier. Kisuke had asked this girl to talk with her privately. About what, she didn't know. It could be about another one of his inventions, she guessed. Eavesdropping was not very fitting for an heiress, but it's not like she'd be seen… and so she decided to listen to their conversation.

"So… what's this about Kisuke?" asked Sayuri. Yorouichi looked confused. Just a couple of days ago, they were referring to the other with their last names.

"Ehh… Well…" he stuttered. He didn't know how to begin.

Sayuri turned her back on him and scanned the place, she found a small bench near the edge of the roof and sat there. "Let me sit down first, you're having problems with coherency, this conversation might take awhile…" she said.

"Sayuri… Why?" he simply asked.

"Why what?"

"Why did you… ask me out?" he finally asked. Yorouichi's heart sank. The girl had asked him out? Somehow she knew that the girl liked him, it was evident on her face. But to have asked Kisuke out, that was very bold of her, wasn't she afraid of Kisuke's hordes of fans?

"Didn't we have this conversation yesterday?" said Sayuri, looking bored.

"What?" he asked. Sayuri sighed.

"I guess it wasn't clear to you. You know, for a genius, you sure are slow about these kind of things…"

"What do you mean?"

Sayuri stood up and moved closer towards him. She put both her hands in his face tilted her face upwards to meet her lips with his. It happened so fast that Kisuke didn't have time to react, he just stood there, frozen. When she broke the kiss, she grinned at the surprised look on his face. "Let me spell it out for you then, Kisuke. I'm-in-love-with-you…"

"But… why?" he asked, shock written all over his face.

"I dunno… It happened so fast for me too. Better brace yourself because this is going to be a very long dialogue on my part… When I first met you, you had this really pained expression on your face. And I said to myself, this guy would look so much better with a smile on his face. And when I did see you smile, it wasn't complete, it was like you were forcing yourself to smile. As I got to know you, I was drawn to you, I have never had friends before, and you were the first person who ever came up to me, you agreed to tutor me, you invited me to have lunch together, no one has ever done that to me before. Not only were you friendly with me but, to others as well. You offer so much to those around you and yet you can't even smile genuinely. Even before you told me about Yorouichi, I knew something had deeply hurt you, and I wanted to help you. You've helped me out in so many ways that you don't know and in return, I wanted to be the one who'd bring your smile back…" when she finished she continued to look straight into his green eyes. Kisuke struggled to take all her words in. That was, the sweetest words a girl could ever say… well it wasn't the sweetest but, coming from Sayuri, it was the cheesiest romantic line. To have someone like Sayuri tell you that she loved you was like a hollow asking you to be his friend. Nevertheless, he was really touched by her words.

"You mean… you're not doing it as a sort of charity? Or pity…?"

"What ever gave you the idea that someone like me would be kind enough to give to charity?" she replied as she smirked at him.

"Yeah I guess you're right…" said Kisuke, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Have I answered your question then?" she asked

"Uh-huh…"

"Then let me ask you, do you still want to go out with me? Or have you changed your mind?" her question caught him off-guard once again… but somehow he knew what he was going to say. Sayuri was someone who was easy to love, Sure it would take time but, he would work on it.

"Well if you're fine with being with me, then I'm fine with being with you too." he answered her as moved closer to her and took her hands in his.

"Then brace yourself, because its going to be one heck of a ride!" she enthused, grinning at him as she clutched his hand tighter.

"I bet…" Kisuke dropped her hands to cup her cheeks, he leaned closer to her face and closed his eyes as he kissed her, Sayuri immediately responded. This kiss was different from what he had with Yorouichi, it wasn't bad or anything like that, he liked the sensation, but the problem was, he couldn't stop thinking of Yorouichi. It would take time for him to completely move on, but he was sure as hell that Sayuri was capable of making that happen. Maybe…

She ran away from the roof as fast as she could. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe, it felt as though her blood had stopped flowing. Her heart was beating so fast, as if it was about to explode. Tears had started to form around her eyes. The image of Kisuke and that girl Sayuri kept playing repeatedly in her head. She felt as though she had been cheated on. Of course, she and Kisuke had broken up for over a year now, but seeing him with another girl was just too much for her to bear. All those times Kisuke had told her he loved her, she thought those words were binding, when he said them, it was sounding of eternal commitment. Sure, she was the one who suggested he move on, but not once did it cross her mind how much it was going to hurt her when he did move on.

Was this it? Were they never really meant to be together? Was she perhaps too late? She couldn't accept that… she didn't want to accept it. She would be willing to do anything to get him back, the only way she'll ever be happy again is to be with him. She vowed to herself that she would make him fall in love with her all over again, no matter how long and whatever it takes, she'll make it possible.

"_Kisuke… I'll get you back…somehow…"_

* * *

a/n: Yorouichi vs. Sayuri (i'm not even sure myself who's going to win) Kisuke's such a stud!

thanks so much for the reviews, it brings me such joy to know that people still read my fics even though i upload so late.


	18. Chapter 18

The fact that the famous Urahara Kisuke was now dating the notorious Sohma Sayuri spread like a virus in the academy. It was very surprising since they never really acted like a real couple in school, since they have both agreed to keep it a secret and they were really private about their relationship, but alas, after a couple of days, Isshin had admitted it was because of him that the entire student body had find out.

"My Bad…" he apologized during lunch break as he tried to explain his side of the story. "I kept on bugging Retsu to tell me what was going on, I didn't think I'd be able to do it, you know how tough to crack Retsu is… But I guess in the end, she just gave up and told me about you guys, and I was so surprised that I kinda shouted and there were a couple of fourth year girls who overheard us talking… Sorry man…" he told Kisuke. Kisuke snatched a piece of sushi from Byakuya's lunch and swallowed it whole. The vein in Byakuya's forehead twitched.

"It's okay man!" he told Isshin, spraying bits of rice in Byakuya's face in the process. "I should be the one apologizing! I lied to you about me and Sayuri, and you're my best friend! We've known each other since we were in diapers and there shouldn't be any secrets between bros!" Kisuke continued.

"Dude! I totally understand! I forgive you!!! Kisuke!" Isshin stood up from his seat, as Kisuke did the same. They looked straight into each others teary eyes.

"Isshin!" The two hugged each other tightly, Byakuya looked embarrassed as he looked away and muttered 'idiots' under his breath, moving his lunch box closer to him. Retsu and Nanao both laughed in amusement.

"That is soooo gay…" said Sayuri, as she dumped her books on the table and sat next to Kisuke. The two best friends broke apart and settled down. Kisuke then turned his attention to Sayuri.

"You hungry?" Kisuke asked her.

"Yeah a little bit. Oooooh Sushi!" she exclaimed, eyeing Byakuya's lunch with interest.

"Let me get it for you!" Kisuke reached across the table and grabbed Byakuya's lunch and he gave it to Sayuri. Things have happened so fast that Byakuya didn't have time to react.

"You took my lunch…" said Byakuya, his voice deep and clearly annoyed.

"Sorry Byakuya-bo… We're commoners here, we can't afford expensive sushi like you. Thanks for the meal!" said Kisuke, annoying the hell out of the young noble further.

"It's not polite to take someone else's lunch without even asking…" said Byakuya, but was completely ignored. Nanao patted her noble classmate, and mouthing something that sounded like, 'Let it go'

"But I guess, it was partially because of us that you and Sayuri got together…" said Isshin

"How so?" inquired Kisuke.

Isshin hesitated for a while as he sought for Retsu's approval, she nodded. "Well, Sayuri was accelerated into the 6th year because of us…"

"I was?" asked Sayuri, munching on the half empty lunch box of Byakuya.

"How?"

"That sensei who has a massive crush on Retsu, he was in charge of who was going to be accelerated to a higher class. We let Retsu, err… Hit on him, and since Sayuri was already on the list, it wasn't very hard for Retsu to convince him…" explained Isshin.

"You did that? Thanks I guess, but why though?" inquired Sayuri.

"Well…Uhmm" Retsu, Isshin, Byakuya and Nanao all exchanged looks. It wasn't hard for Kisuke to catch on.

"I get it… Thanks…" said Kisuke as he looked meaningfully at his friends.

"Well I don't! Explain!" Sayuri demanded.

"Don't worry about it, you should be grateful, that's one year of training off of you." Kisuke told her as he messed with her hair. Sayuri stuck her tongue out at him.

"There was a student council meeting yesterday…" said Retsu as she immediately changed the subject, she was the president of the student council. "And they've decided on a tournament for the upcoming School Festival…" she added

"Oh yeah, the school festival. So what sort of tournament is it?" asked Isshin

"There's one for zanjutsu, one for kidou, and a mixed one, meaning any form of combat can be used." Retsu explained. "So you guys up for it? I think there's a cash prize involved, and other consolation prices too."

"Hell yeah! I think I'll join the zanjutsu tournament, since I suck at kidou anyway." said Isshin

"Sounds interesting. I think I'll join too!" said Sayuri.

"If you're joining then I guess I should too!" said Kisuke.

"Oh, sorry Kisuke, but you're not allowed to enter. The other student council members asked me, no, more like pleaded for me to tell you not to join, it'll be unfair, I think…" said Retsu. The resident genius was sure to win every tournament after all.

"Aww man… and I soo badly needed the extra cash… Oh well."

"Just watch me then, I'll top all the tournaments! Hahaha!" said Sayuri.

"I'd like to see you try!" Kisuke teased.

"Hmph…"

"When is it going to be anyway?"

"It's going to be next week. Registration starts in two days. What about you, Byakuya-kun? Nanao-chan?" asked Retsu

"Well, tournaments are not really my thing so… I guess I'll just cheer for the others!" said Nanao

"I'm in." said Byakuya

"Great! But you should know that the tournament is divided into the male and female divisions…"

"WHAT? And I so wanted to fight with Byakugan-kun! Oh well…" The lunch bell started to ring, signaling the end of lunch break.

* * *

On their way to their next class, which was kido, the four 6th years walked through the hallways, some students were looking at them, well mostly at the new couple. When they got to the door of the classroom, they saw Yorouichi, walking alone without her usual cohorts.

"Yorouichi!" Called Retsu as she moved toward the heiress. The others were surprised to see her do so.

"Hey Retsu. Hey guys." She greeted the others. The two then started having a conversation as they went inside the classroom. The other three were stuck at the door. With confused looks on their faces.

"Did she just… greet us?" said Isshin

"I think she did…" said Sayuri, she went inside the classroom, dragging along Kisuke with her to their seats.

"Well they still are friends… I guess…" said Isshin as he took his seat. The others settled unto their seats as Sasakibe-sensei entered the classroom.

"As you all know, before you can graduate, you'd have to pass three field exercises and of course, the zanpakutou exam. The first field exercise will be this Friday, that's three days from now, I'll be briefing you on your squad assignments and the mission specifications. I'll be announcing the squad assignments… Listen up!" Sasakibe had then proceeded with calling out names.

"Field exercises huh? Now that's interesting!" said Sayuri.

"Oh yeah… you haven't been to the human world huh…"

"Uh-huh… I wonder if I could get souvenirs or something…"

"I don't think you could…" said Kisuke

"Why the hell not?"

"I think that's against the rules, Sayuri…"

"Screw the rules, I want one!" she said. Kisuke sighed. Once she makes up her mind, there was no way to stop her.

"Urahara!" called the sensei. "You'll be squad three's leader! Your members will be, Shiba, Kurosaki, Mashiba, Kanou, and Iori. He sighed in relief, at least he had decent members, and Isshin and Kuukaku were with him, except Mashiba, that is, he was quite a pain in the ass.

"Hai…" he answered.

"It's good we're not in the same group…" said Sayuri. Kisuke looked curiously at her.

"You don't want to be in the same group as I am?" he asked her.

"Yeah… I won't have enough hollows to kill with you there!" she replied.

"Guess not…But then again, no one will save your ass if you end up dropping your katana…" he teased. Sayuri nudged him quite painfully on the ribs. The sensei proceeded with the squad assignments.

"Squad four's leader will be Unohana, with Sohma, Shihouin, Katahira, and Yamato." said the sensei. Yorouichi felt like banging her head on her desk. Great, she was with that girl Sayuri.

"Ooooh goody… I'm with the stuck up heiress…" said Sayuri sarcastically. Yorouichi pretended not to hear. She wanted to be on Kisuke's good side, and that would definitely not be possible if she beat up his girlfriend. Girlfriend, the words stung her like a bee. Kisuke in turn, had pretended he hadn't heard his girlfriend's words. _"Good luck Retsu…"_ he thought. When Sasakibe had finished announcing the squad assignments, he continued.

"This field exercise will be more difficult than the ones you've had before, you will be battling higher level hollows, and so to prepare you for this, the three days before the field exercises, including today will be used as training hours to further hone your fighting skills. But of course, you're not allowed to be absent." when he said the last word, he looked specifically at Kisuke. "Is that clear?"

"Hai…" answered the 6th years.

"Then you can all proceed to the training halls. Dismissed!"

* * *

"_H….ear….me…"_

"That voice…. You again… What do you want with me?" he called out into the darkness.

"_You will…know…The time…has...almost...come..."_

"The time? Wait! Who are you…?"

"_You must… realize it…" _the voice was beginning to fade.

"Huh?

"_When the time comes… call my name…" _the voice had then completely disappeared. Kisuke woke up with a start. He was breathing heavily and panting. That dream again. Why does he keep dreaming of it? What was the meaning of those dreams? Kisuke had realized that he had fallen asleep on the far most corner of the training hall. He looked around the training hall, his classmates were all shouting, screaming from all the training. How he was able to fall asleep amidst all the noise was a mystery.

"That dream again, huh?" a voice called from behind him. He jumped up in surprise. It was only Sayuri.

"Geez Sayuri… you scared the hell out of me…"

"What's wrong with you? I was able to surprise you from behind! I haven't done that before!" she said. Sounding proud of herself.

"I just don't get why I keep on having these dreams…"

"Don't think about it too much. You already have too much information on your brain, and thinking about this dream of yours might make it explode or something." said Sayuri

"Yeah, I guess…" Sayuri took out a small towel from her bag,, and wiped Kisuke's sweat off his face. "Geez, you're sweating like crazy!"

"Sorry…" he was still shaking, Sayuri took hold of his trembling hands.

"Oi! Sayuri! Stop fooling around! You promised me you'd help me with kidou!" called Isshin,, it was just like him to ruin a boyfriend/girlfriend moment.

"Be right there Kisshin! Are you going to be okay?" she turned and asked him.

"Uh-huh…" Kisuke nodded.

"Later then… Take it easy for a while, and try not to fall asleep!" Sayuri leaned closer to him as she kissed his cheek. She stood up and made her way towards Isshin. When she was halfway across the hall, she glanced back at him and smiled. Kisuke returned the smile. He was grateful for Sayuri's presence in his life now. It made a big difference. He needed someone to be there for him, to support him, and he was glad he had found Sayuri. But what bothers him still, was that he still felt incomplete. The numbing pain in his chest was still there… but it was fading, although slowly…

At the other side of the room, Yorouichi was watching the scene between Kisuke and his new girlfriend. It was torture for her, but she couldn't avert her eyes away from the little scene. Kisuke looked as if he was afraid, he was trembling and sweating bullets. She had never seen him like that before… ever. What was bothering him? How she wanted so much to be there with him, comforting him, and telling him it was going to be okay. She wanted badly, to be by his side again. But was it still even possible? After all the pain she had caused him? Even being friends seemed very far off. But she had promised herself she would try. Kisuke was everything she wanted, and she wouldn't just sit back and not do anything. She excused herself from her training partner, and slowly walked toward the blond genius. She was nervous, extremely nervous. Would she even talk to him? Kisuke was still sitting on the floor, his hands on his face, he didn't notice that Yorouichi was standing in front of him.

"Hey.." she called, her voice barely audible. Kisuke looked up to the sound, and was a bit surprised to see her.

"What?" he asked.

"W-well… I w-was just wondering if y-you were okay? You look r-really pale…" she was stuttering as she spoke. Kisuke noticed a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Y-yeah…" Was he still dreaming? Yorouichi was talking to him? It didn't make any sense.

"Oh… Uhmm… Maybe you should go to the infirmary…" she suggested.

"I'm fine…" he answered. Was she actually worried about him?

"You say that but… you look like you've come down with a fever…" she said. Kisuke wanted to tell her he was really fine, and that he's actually glad and leaping with joy inside that she's that worried about him, but his vocals were not coordinating with his actual thoughts…

"I said I was fine." he spoke firmly.

"I see… I was just making sure you were okay…" she said as she turned away from him.

"Didn't know you cared…" he told her quite rudely. She turned to face him again.

"Of course I do… You're my friend…I mean I… still consider you as a friend…" she spoke just loud enough for him to hear.

"Friends? You don't even know the meaning of the word…" he spoke sarcastically. He didn't know why he was acting quite rudely toward Yorouichi. He didn't want to hurt her feelings… but somehow, being this close to her again, all those feelings of anger he held for her came rushing back.

"Kisuke… I know you're still mad at me… and I won't even be surprised if you hate me because I know it was my fault…. If only I could take it back I would… But I can't… And I know it's a long shot but… I really do want to be friends with you again…I wish we could just forget about everything that has happened…" She spoke in a soft voice, and she was holding back tears, Something within him stirred. Kisuke avoided looking directly at her as he turned his gaze away.

"It's not that simple…" said Kisuke

"I know its not… But I'm sure we could get past this eventually. All those years together is proof of this… If only you could find it in your heart to forgive me…Please…"

"I… don't know…" he said. He didn't know what else to say. He was confused. Yorouichi as a friend, was the best. The years he spent with her were definitely the best times of his youth. But was friendship between them still possible after everything that has happened?

"I know you'll be able to forgive me, eventually. And I'm willing to wait no matter how long it takes for you to forgive me… Please remember that." She smiled at him genuinely as she turned from him and left. Kisuke was left with his thoughts in disarray. Sure, he could do high level kidou spells and solve math problems easily. But stuff like this, he was never really good at.

* * *

"Sayuri-chan, I'm going on ahead okay?" said Retsu as she entered the shower. The training sessions were now over for the day and the sixth year girls were in the locker room.

"Okay…" Sayuri was in the process of fixing up her things. Shihouin Yorouichi stood a few feet from her, also fixing her things. Sayuri had seen the conversation between Yorouichi and Kisuke earlier on, but what they were talking about, she didn't know. She stood up, and willed herself to confront the heiress.

"Noble-san…" she called her. Yorouichi turned to face her.

"What?"

"What were you and Kisuke talking about?"

"None of your business…" said Yorouichi. Of all the people to see them talking, why did it have to be her?

"I know its not, but I am curious. What do you want from Kisuke?"

"Well if you must know… We were talking…" she told her.

"Duh! But what about?" she pressed on.

"About stuff…"

"Like what?"

"I can't say…"

"Why not?"

"Why would I?"

"Because I'm asking."

"I still can't say…"

"Why the heck not?"

"Because I don't want to…"

"Hmph… Well if that's how its going to be… Fine! But let me tell you this… Kisuke is my boyfriend now!" proclaimed Sayuri. The scene between the two were currently being watched by the other sixth year girls. Kuukaku included. She was watching the two bicker while eating.

"Yeah well let me tell you… That before he became your boyfriend, he was mine!" Yorouichi snapped at her.

"But you left him, and he's never going to forgive you for that!"

"Oh yeah? We'll see! I've known him longer than you have and I'm pretty sure he will!" said Yorouichi

"Should we stop them?" Retsu asked Kuukaku.

"Nah… Let them fight! This is going to be interesting!"

"I challenge you then! The upcoming tournament! If I beat you, you're not allowed to talk to him alone!" said Sayuri

"Bring it on! And If I win, I'm allowed to talk to him whenever I want!"

"Okay, deal!" The two girls shook on it.

"I'll see you at the tournament!" said Sayuri.

"Then I hope you'll make it in the finals because that's were I'll be!" The two glared at each other and turned away. Yorouichi said as she stormed out of the locker room.

"Uhmm… Sayuri-chan…" called Retsu. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm not afraid of her, even if she is taller than me!" (a/n: Sayuri's about 5"3 and Yorouichi is like 5"8...)

"That's not the point here… What about Kisuke?"

"I'm doing this for him! Shit I have to go train again! See yah girls later!" Sayuri darted off into the direction of the training halls.

"I can't wait for the tournament!" exclaimed Kuukaku. "But you know, I think the stakes are too low… Their deal should be, whoever wins gets to have Kisuke all to herself. Right?" Retsu sighed.

* * *

Kisuke was waiting for Sayuri at the school gates. The conversation with Yorouichi earlier on still fresh in his mind. He knew, that deep down, he really wanted to forgive Yorouichi… But could he simply forget about everything that has happened? And if he did forgive her, will they really go back to being friends like before? Will there be no awkwardness between them? And would it mean that they would eventually be getting back together? Sure, he'd be lying to himself if he said that he didn't have feelings for her anymore… But what about Sayuri? He tried to clear his mind from all the confusing thoughts. He figured he'd just deal with all this stuff later. For now, he needed to rest. He had been lacking sleep for a few days now, thanks to that recurring dream of his.

"I'm definitely not going to miss that fight! Who do you think would win?" Two girls from their class were making their way out of the academy.

"Shihouin-san of course! Surely you've seen her during sparring classes before. She's insanely fast, and she's good at zanjutsu too! And back when she was still friends with Kisuke-kun, she was able to spar on level with him!" said one of the girls.

"True… But then again this is Sohma we're talking about! She skipped a year! She must have something up her sleeve. She's the type who never backs down from a fight!"

"I hope the tournament comes soon…. Oh! Hi Kisuke-kun…" The two girls had finally seen Kisuke standing near the gates. They looked embarrassed as they continued to walk past him.

"_Sayuri and Yorouichi… fighting? What was that all about?" _Kisuke thought… "Have you seen Sayuri?" Kisuke called after the girls.

"Sohma-san headed for the training halls again…" they answered. Kisuke ran back inside the academy towards the training halls. When he got there, he was surprised to see Sayuri, on her back sprawled out on the floor . He quickly ran towards her. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving at all. Kisuke kneeled next to her.

"Sayuri!" he called. Sayuri opened her eyes, and was taken aback with Kisuke's sudden appearance.

"Kisuke? Oh crap! I forgot you were waiting for me!" Sayuri sat up to face him.

"Sayuri, what's wrong? Are you okay? Why were you lying on the floor?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing… Just brainstorming some stuff… I was practicing some higher level kido but I can't seem to cast it fast enough… I was coming up with ways on how to speed up the casting process…." she told him.

"Then why were you on the floor?"

"I can't brainstorm sitting down… Lying down on the cold hard floor is more comfortable…" she said. Kisuke sighed. Sayuri's level of weirdness surprising him still.

"Geez, you got me worried over nothing…"

"You're such a worrywart! I guess I've had enough training for today… Let's go home!" Sayuri held out her hand for Kisuke and he took it as he pulled her up.

"What was that all about you and Yorouichi fighting?" he asked.

"Gosh, word sure travels fast in this academy! Too many gossiping kids here… I swear this place contains more gossipers than that place in…"

"Don't change the subject…" Kisuke quickly cut in.

"Guess not… It was nothing. You know how I am with nobles…"

"Yeah but… Did you really fight?"

"Not yet… We'll be squaring it off at the tournament's finals!"

"I don't think that's such a great idea… Yoro… Shihouin is a talented swordsman…and…"

"Not you too! That's what Retsu told me! Look, just let me do this, okay? You should be more supportive of your girlfriend!" she told him as she playfully punched him on the cheek using their joined hands.

"I guess… I could help you out. I've sparred with her a couple of times before and I know some of her moves…"

"That would really help me out. Thanks babe…" she winked at him.

"Babe?"

"Yeah why not? Our pet names for each other!" said Sayuri.

"Sure, sure…"

"Kisuke…" she called him softly. "You don't have to worry about anything… You should worry more about yourself, look at you! You look like a friggin', although handsome, zombie! When was the last time you actually had sleep?"

"Well…"

"See? Kisuke, take it easy for awhile okay? I'm worried about you, you know?" she said. Kisuke smiled at her as he pulled her closer to him and hugged her.

"Thanks…"

* * *

a/n: wow it's been like... wow... please don't be mad at me! If you have to blame anyone, it would be that stinkin' internship of mine! it's taking up so much of my time! Huhuhu... Anyways... I hope you guys are still out there, and if you are, review this one too. Thanks so much!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It was Friday, the day of the sixth year's first field exam and the genius Urahara Kisuke was running late, very late. He had been working on a project of his until the wee hours of the morning, and just had an hour of sleep, yet again. Running late with him was his bestfriend Kurosaki Isshin, who had been training almost everyday in preparation for the school festival's tournament. The two were running impossibly fast through the crowded streets of Rukongai, and it was amazing how they don't seem to be hitting someone or something at the rate they were going. Kisuke was a few paces behind Isshin, he was struggling to keep up with him, he had been lacking exercise as of late, what with him always locking himself up with his inventions. When they reached the border between Ryukongai and Seiretei, Kisuke stopped and leaned on a nearby wall to catch his breath. Isshin noticed this and he stopped in his tracks and glanced at his panting best friend.

"You okay?"

"I...*huff*... I'm fine... *huff*..." He struggled to say between pants.

"Working again last night?" Isshin asked.

He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "Yeah..." Kisuke took one deep breath and braced himself once more as he started running again, Isshin followed soon after.

"Was it just me, or did I hear Sayuri's voice in our house last night?"

"Yeah she came by last night, she's been bugging me to help her with her training..." said Kisuke. He gave his so-called 'girlfriend' battle tips but apparently that was not enough for one Sohma Sayuri.

"And did you help her train?"

"I helped her with kido a little bit... and then we just..." Kisuke stopped mid-sentence. He almost let it slip that they... on his bed...

Isshin grinned mischievously at his blond friend. "I know what you guys did!"

Kisuke turned red in embarrassment. "Err sorry man..." he muttered.

"Nah it's fine. But dude do me a favor will you?"

"What?"

"Please oh please, the next time you guys do that, please do it on your own bed!" said Isshin as he laughed at Kisuke's red face. They felt something quickly pass by them and stopped in front of them.

"What's this I hear about a bed?" inquired Unohana Retsu.

"Retsu! You runnin' late too?" Isshin came up towards her. Retsu dumped her bag and books on Isshin's already outstretched and waiting hands.

"I woke up early and did some last minute studying and I guess I didn't pay attention to the time" said Restu. That was very typical of her, ever the bookworm. "What about the bed?" she inquired again, looking from Isshin to Kisuke, who found the rocks on the ground suddenly fascinating.

"Kisuke and Sayuri did it on my bed..." Isshin blurted out. Kisuke looked up at his best friend with wide, aghast eyes.

"What?! We didn't do it! I swear!" Kisuke defended himself.

"Oh? Then how come my sheets were all wrinkly and sweaty and why was your shirt on the floor? And why on my bed anyway, you have yours!"

"My room's a mess you know that... And we didn't do anything we were just making out!" Kisuke explained. He cursed himself mentally. He could've just lied and made up some story. But this was Isshin, he could easily see through him after being friends for ages.

"Isshin let it go, we're already running late. And Kisuke's old enough to be doing things with Sayuri. Now let's go!" said Retsu as she started running again. The two followed after her. Kisuke was relieved that Retsu had been able to come to terms with him and Sayuri being together, she was totally against it at first, but as she came to know Sayuri. She came to accept it and even acknowledged her as a friend.

They made it in time to the academy. Five minutes more and they would have been left behind. The sixth years were all neatly lined up in front of the senkaimon that would take them to the real world. They went to line up with their respective squads. Sasakibe Choujiro, the sixth year's adviser, briefed them about the mission. They were to support the 13th squad with their hollow extermination in Japan, the area were the 13th squad is responsible for. They were to secure a small town located near the Capital Tokyo. Hollows have never appeared in this small town before, that was until a week ago, were five people from the 13th Squad have gone missing after a hollow had supposedly appeared. The sixth years were all on standby, at an abandoned warehouse located at the outskirts of the capital. They were to wait for further instructions while preparations were being made. Kisuke took a seat on one of the empty crates to rest for a while. The rest of his classmates were all practicing kido and hado incantations out of nervousness, but he was the least fazed by it. If he could avoid doing the field exam, he would gladly pass on it, he really just wanted to go back home to his room and finish his current project. He was snapped out if his thoughts on his project when Sohma Sayuri took a seat next to him and he turned to look at her.

"You were late." said Sayuri.

"So were you..." Sayuri arrived only a few minutes earlier than them. Sayuri grinned at him as she ruffled his always unruly hair.

"Thanks for last night... The tips that you gave me could be really helpful against Shinouin when we face off in the tournament!" Kisuke sighed, why was she so determined to beat Yorouichi anyway? For someone as smart as him, he was still naïve when it came to things like this.

"Look Sayuri... I don't know why you have to beat her so badly but Yoru...Shihouin-san is a really good fighter, if you're not careful you might get hurt."

"I'm not that worried, and so should you! I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve." she said, giving him her usual mischievous grin. Kisuke smiled back at her, he really couldn't talk her out of this after all. He tried to do it last night, but Sayuri always gave him the same stubborn answer.

"Fine I give up... There's no use anyway, you're so determined."

"Geniuses can't afford to worry about trivial things okay? So just let it go."

"Yes yes..." The warehouse door opened as Members of the 13th squad came in, and it signalled the start of the mission. Sayuri stood up and pulled Kisuke up.

"I have to go to my squad. Good luck on your field exam!" Sayuri told him. Kisuke smirked.

"That should be my line."

"Jack ass! See you later!" Sayuri grabbed Kisuke's collar and pulled him towards her and kissed him right on the lips. Kisuke was so surprised by the sudden show of affection that his eyes were wide open. Sayuri let go of him as soon as it happened and walked off towards her squad and Kisuke was left with a shocked expression on his face. That earned a few cat calls and wolf whistling from the rest of the class. Except for a certain heiress who clutched her katana tighter at what she had witnessed. The sixth years lined up with their squads again as they were all assigned to accompany various teams of 13th squad members. Kisuke's squad three was to accompany Team 1 and Retsu's squad four was to go with Team 3. Squad three members joined with Team 1 and arrived at the area assigned to them, an abandoned construction site. Kisuke noticed a familiar face among the 13th squad members. He could recognize that white hair anywhere.

"Jushiro-sempai!" he called, and Ukitake Jushiro turned towards Kisuke and his Squad.

"Oh! Kisuke-kun! And Isshin-kun and Kuukaku-chan too! It's been a while!" he greeted, smiling widely at his former underclassmen.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were part of the 13th squad now!" said Isshin, he looked at Jushiro from head to toe. "Looking good Jushiro-san! You're a seated officer now right?"

"Yeah. Just last week. You're now looking at the 15th seat of the 13th squad!" Ukitake beamed, as he showed them his 18th seat insignia.

"Whoa cool!" Isshin and Kisuke said at the same time. The other members of their squad, the stuck up good looking noble Mashiba, a small soft-spoken girl named Iori, and a loud obnoxious guy called Kanou, all marveled at the sight of Ukitake's insignia.

"Congratulations sempai!" said Kuukaku as she shook Ukitake's hand. "Oh is my brother here too?" Kuukaku looked around at the other members of the 13th squad, Kaien wasn't among them.

"Shiba is with the other team I think. He wanted to be on the same team but our captain assigned him to a different one." said Ukitake. "I'd like to stay and chat with you guys some more but, the mission is about to start."

"Oh right the mission! What are we supposed to do anyway?" said Kisuke. It was nice to see Ukitake again, since he and Kyouraku had become too busy to visit them.

"You guys are going to be on standby here with us. According to our reports, this is were the hollows first started to appear." Ukitake said. It was night time at the human world, and this abandoned construction site seemed like a typical place for hollows to appear. The area was quiet and eery, like the calm before the storm. The quietness made Kisuke feel that something seemed off.

"Eh? So we're just going to wait around here?" asked Mashiba. Jushiro nodded.

"Those are the orders from the captain."

"Aww that sucks. I've been training my ass off for this and I was hoping to get a lot of action!" said Isshin, a dissappointed look crossed his face.

Kuukaku sighed. "Yeah me too!"

"Ehh? Kuukaku-chan, you were training?!" Ukitake teased.

"Of course I don't!"

"Yeah! You know Kuukaku, she'd rather sleep than train!"

"Well that's true!" The others started laughing. Kisuke wasn't paying attention, he had this deep feeling in his gut that something was bound to happen, and it wasn't something good. He looked around the area, nothing but cement, plywood, and scrap metal. But he could still feel it. An ominous feeling...

* * *

Squad Four, led by Unohana Retsu was on standby just a few distance away from where Squad Three was situated. Shihouin Yorouichi sat on a nearby pavement, a bored expression on her face. They had been on standby for more than 30 minutes now and they still haven't sensed any hollow reiatsu. A member of the 13th squad also accompanied them, and was currently making rounds of the area. Yorouichi glanced at the other members of the squad. Retsu was leaning on a wall, and appeared to be reading a book. Should she be reading a book at a time like this? Well better than just doing nothing. Yorouichi thought. The small bespectacled girl Yamato, was pacing back and forth, while the other girl Katahira was playing with the long locks of her hair. Across the room stood Sohma Sayuri, who looked just as bored as she was. She was leaning on the wall, her arms crossed. And she was simply staring at the moonlit sky. Yorouichi remembered the scene from earlier. This girl had guts, kissing Kisuke like that in front of the whole class. It was a known fact that half the female class had a thing for Kisuke. She remembered being hated by them before at one point, but that all stopped when she got married. The girl Katahira stood up from where she was seating and walked over towards her.

"Shihouin-sama, don't you just hate her?" said Katahira. Yorouichi raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"Who?"

"That girl Sohma! The nerve! You saw what she did earlier right?" she said. Yorouichi now remembered that this girl Katahira was also crazy about Kisuke.

"I don't really care about that..." she lied. Truth be told, she hasn't been able to take her mind away from the image of them kissing.

"But still! I wanna rip her hair off! Why did Kisuke-kun choose such a girl like her anyway?" katahira whined. Yorouichi wondered about that too. She told Kisuke to move on with his life but, to think that he actually started dating someone else, she couldn't believe it. Sohma Sayuri was beautiful, pale white skin, long wavy black hair, a thin waist, she was popular in her own right. But he knew Kisuke. He wasn't the type of guy who went with looks. Something in her must have sparked something in him. And that's what she truly wished to know. What was it with Sohma Sayuri that made Urahara Kisuke choose her? While lost in her thoughts, an ear-splitting roar could be heard from outside the abandoned warehouse they were in.

"Was that, a hollow?" Katahira asked. Retsu closed her book, and placed her hand on her katana's sheath.

"Get ready." said Retsu. Yorouichi unsheathed her own katana, and the rest followed suit. The ceiling of the warehouse started cracking.

"It's above us! Go outside!" Retsu screamed, and they all scrambled to go out of the warehouse, as soon as they got outside, the warehouse crumbled and on top if it was a huge snake-like hollow.

"Take it down!" The 13th squad members ordered, as they started to attack it. Katahira and Yamato backed away and started their incantations. The 13th squad members were no match for the hollow as they fell one by one, their katana's were no match for the thick skin of the hollow.

"Shot of Red fire!" Katahira and Yamato both bellowed. Her spell hit the hollow's hide, but that too, didn't seem to work. The hollow countered them as it pushed them away with a single blow.

"Retsu! Try casting a binding spell while I hold it off!" said Yorouichi as she sprang towards the hollow. Retsu nodded as she started to chant. Yorouichi attacked the hollow in its rear, but the hollow slithered away and dodged her attack easily. She braced herself to attack again, when she saw Sayuri beat her to it. Sayuri slashed at the hollow's hide, but still didn't have any effect. Sayuri backed away a few steps from the hollow as she cast a spell.

"Way of Destruction number 11, Bound Lightning!" Sayuri's Katana was enveloped with an electric current as she dashed towards the hollow again and slashed it on the same area as before, and this time with success, the hollow screamed in pain.

"The hollow's weak against lightning!" Sayuri screamed. "Retsu! Binding Spell!"

"Binding Spell number 9! Strike!" The hollow was engulfed in a red light, and it's movement started to halt, and soon the hollow was paralyzed.

"Retsu! Keep it like that! Shihouin! Attack it when I give the signal!" Sayuri shouted. Yorouichi nodded as she waited for her signal. Sayuri started chanting a spell again. "Way of Destruction number 11, Bound Lightning!" Instead of her own katana being engulfed with an electric current, Sayuri directed it to Yorouichi's katana. "Go!" she shouted. Yorouichi quickly dashed towards the paralyzed hollow and slashed at it with such a force. That was it for the hollow, as it quickly disintegrated.

"Wow! We make a good team!" said Sayuri. As she patted Yorouichi on the back.

"I guess..."

"But when the tournament comes, I won't show any mercy!" Sayuri grinned at her.

Yorouichi grinned at her too. "Same here..."

* * *

"Was that a hollow?" said Isshin, as they heard a faint roar.

"Maybe. It came from the direction of the warehouse." Ukitake said.

"Hey! That's where Retsu's squad is! Shouldn't we go help them?"

"I wouldn't worry about that. Retsu's there, and Sayuri and Yorouichi are there too!" said Kuukaku. And at that, Kisuke agreed.

"They'll be fine Isshin, don't worry." he assured his bestfriend.

"Yeah you're right. At least they're getting some action!" Isshin really has a positive outlook on everything, that's what makes him Isshin, Kisuke thought.

"Speaking of action.." Mashiba spoke up. " You and Sohma dating, Urahara?"

"None of your business Mashiba." Kisuke spat at him.

"Oh but it is my business, with you out of the picture, I'm sure I'll be able to move in on Shihouin without any hindrance..." Mashiba said. Kisuke clenched his fists tighter. He really hated this guy Mashiba, he's been hitting on Yorouichi since they were freshmen.

"Eh? Kisuke-kun, you're dating someone else?" Ukitake asked, a surprised look on his face.

"Ah yeah..." Kisuke laughed nervously. "I'll tell you about it later, sempai."

"Uh sure... Well anyway, we can't leave our post here, that's going against orders and that may cause you to fail this field exam." said Jushiro.

"Yeah but... We've been here for ages an not one hollow has..." Isshin was interrupted by a roar, a huge hollow had appeared before them.

"You were saying, Isshin?" said Kuukaku.

"Draw your katanas. The 13th squad will attack it first, you guys follow after us." said Ukitake as they all nodded in agreement. The 13th squad members started to attack the huge hollow and the hollow was soon defeated.

"Aww man... just when I thought we'd get the chance to fight, a weak hollow comes in and..." Isshin was interrupted again as new waves of hollows started appearing one after the other.

"You got your wish Isshin, with these many hollows, we'll get into action!" said Kuukaku.

"You were wishing for it too, weren't you?" Isshin and Kuukaku both drew their katanas.

"Be careful, when its too hard for you to handle, you have to retreat." said Ukitake. Isshin and Kuukaku both nodded at the white-haired shinigami as they dashed towards the hollows, Ukitake, Mashiba, Iori and Kanou followed soon after. Kisuke stayed where he was and looked around him, the hollows all seemed to be weak, but there were quite a lot of them, but the hollows were still no match for them. He decided to just watch the others fight, he really wasn't in the mood to fight. After a few minutes, they 13th squad and his squad members were rounding up the last of the hollows. That's when Kisuke felt it again, the weird ominous feeling he had felt earlier. When the last of the hollows were defeated, the entire area was quiet again, too quiet. And that's when it happened. A hole from the sky had opened, and hundreds of hollows started coming out of it. Kisuke drew his katana and joined Isshin and the others. The rest of his squad were fighting hollow after hollow, it seemed endless. He was doing the same too not wasting any time as he dispatched every hollow with a single blow. Some of the 13th squad members had already fallen. Hollows kept on appearing one after the other. They were being outnumbered.

"Kisuke-kun! Take the others with you and go ask for back-up! We'll hold them off!" Ukitake shouted. Most of the 13th squad members had been taken down by hollows, only Ukitake remained standing.

"But we can't just leave you here sempai! There's too many of them!"

"Forget it, Just go!"

"Kanou, Iori, Mashiba! Go get help from the other squads! Hurry!" Kisuke screamed. "That's an order form your squad leader! I'll take full responsibility. Now go!" Kisuke shouted. The three left the scene as quickly as they could. But before they got out, they were cornered by another wave of hollows, and they went down one by one.

"Way of Destruction number 54! Abolishing Flames!" Ukitake bellowed as he fired numerous blasts of purple spiritual energy towards the hollows that attacked Mashiba and the others. The hollows incinerated the moment they got hit by Ukitake's spell. While he was busy casting hado spells, Ukitake failed to notice that a hollow had sneaked up behind him.

"Sempai!" Kisuke called out. When Ukitake noticed the hollow behind him, it was too late, the hollow had attacked him with its claws and he fumbled backwards, bleeding.

"Jushiro-sempai!" Isshin called, as he dashed towards the hollow and defeated it. Kisuke went towards them as he helped Isshin lift Ukitake up.

"Isshin, go and take Jushiro sempai and go get help from the other squads. I'll hold them off!"

"But Kisuke..!"

"Go! Trust me on this. Kuukaku!" Kisuke called across the field were Kuukaku was finishing off another weak hollow. "Go with Isshin! And take the others with you. Hury!" Kuukaku and Isshin both didn't seem to want to move.

"Kisuke, I swear if you die from this, I'm gonna fucking hate you forever!" Isshin shouted at him as he took Ukitake with him and left the area. Kuukaku took the injured Mashiba, Iori, and Kanou with her as she followed after Isshin.

Kisuke turned to face the remaining hollows, there were at least 50 of them left. Kisuke took a deep breath.

"Way of Destruction number 88! Flying Dragon Striking Heaven Shaking Thunder Cannon!" Kisuke fired a gigantic electricity blast of spiritual energy at the remaining hollows, each one falling to the strength of the high level hado. He kept at it for a few more minutes as the hollows were finally defeated. Panting, he stuck his katana to the ground and leaned on it. That spell had cost him a lot of spiritual energy.

"You're pretty good boy..." said a voice from above. Kisuke looked up to see another hollow decending from the same hole. As soon as the hollow landed on the ground, the hole in the sky had closed. This was the last one.

"So you're the leader huh?" said Kisuke as he pulled himself up.

"That spell you did was quite impressive. I'm surprised you can still stand after letting out that much reiatsu." said the hollow. The hollow was a huge humanoid Hollow with several fish-themed features.

"A Fishbone D was it?"

"So you know about me eh? Not many shinigami are familiar with hollow types." said the hollow. Of course, hanging around the 12th squad almost everyday, would make him knowledgeable about hollows.

"A water-based hollow, I have the perfect spell for you! Way of Destruction number 33! Blue fire Crash down!" Kisuke aimed and fired a burst of blue flame-like spiritual energy toward the Fishbone D, when the smoke around the hollow dissipated, he was surprised to see that the hollow was still standing, and not a single scratch was visible.

"I'm not like the regular Fishbone D that you shinigami deal with, I am no longer weak to fire!" The Fishbone D lunged forward to attack Kisuke, he dodged the first wave of attacks with difficulty, he had little reiatsu left.

"You can't keep on dodging forever boy, you're almost out of breath!" The Hollow dashed towards him again, attacking him continously, he was able to dodge the first three of the attacks, but then he was backed against a corner, and was hit by the hollow the wall behind him crumbled as he flew a few meters back from the impact. Kisuke scrambled to get to his feet, he could feel blood dripping from the side of head, he clutched at his chest, some of his ribs were broken. The hollow didn't stop there, the hollow ran towards him again in attacked him again, as he fell face first to the hard ground, more blood spiling from him.

"I think its about time to end this!"

"_Is this the end? Am I just going to let an ugly hollow like this kill me? I don't want to die... I don't want to die!"_

"This is it for you boy!"

"_No I don't want to die!" _Kisuke thought. He had so much he wanted to do, he just couldn't die here like this. The hollow would be able to track the others from here, he had to do something! He had friends to protect, Isshin, Retsu, Kuukaku, Ukitake, Sayuri... And Yorouichi...

"_Call my name... Now is the time..." _whispered a soft feminine voice, it was the same voice that he had been hearing in his dreams.

"Die! Shinigami!" The hollow fired a cero from its mouth towards him.

"Kisuke!" a female voice shouted from across the field.

"Benihime!!" Kisuke screamed, as he was engulfed in a bright red light.

* * *

a/n: whoa! an update after a year? just... wow.... i'm super uber sorry... but alas, i'm back, and i'm ready to upload this story again! Hope people are still reading this though. Oh and please do review! You can complain in your reviews too! I deserve it, i mean it has been a YEAR! Whew...


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

When he woke up, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, he clutched his chest and felt his bandages, he had broken a few ribs. He also noticed that he had a lot of bruises all over his body. He sat up from where he was sleeping and realized that he was at the academy's infirmary. He remembered being in the same position before, three years ago during a field exercise. He struggled to pull himself up from the bed and he was able to stand up, but his knees gave out and he fell to the floor, he was still too weak. He heard footsteps nearing the room, and when he glanced at the door, he saw her standing there, her golden eyes filled with worry. She knelt down in front of him and offered a hand, he didn't take it, instead he held on to a nearby table and pulled himself up again, only to stumble face flat to the floor again. He heard her giggle softly, as she took his arm and helped him up, and brought him back to his bed, where his head collided with the pillow. Resisting help from her was futile anyway, he could barely move what with all his injuries.

"Always so stubborn..." she said, as she stood beside his bed.

Kisuke turned on the other side of the bed, away from her and pulled the blankets closer to him, almost hiding his face. "What are you doing here?" he muttered.

"Just checking how you were doing..." she replied.

"Well now that you've checked that I'm still alive, it's best that you leave..." he told her, his tone cold and uncaring.

"Kisuke..." she whispered, her voice sounded weak.

"Leave."

"I was the one who found you..." she said, ignoring his last words. Before blacking out he did hear a voice... So it was her after all. "When I arrived, you were bleeding all over the place, You screamed something but I didn't understand it and then you were engulfed in this very bright red light, then the hollow in front of you was suddenly dead..." her voice was shaking as she spoke.

"It was... my zanpakutou... I guess..." said Kisuke. His back still turned against her.

"Zanpakutou...? Well I guess I'm not surprised. Knowing the name of your zanpakutou even though its still a couple of months before graduation... You're a genius after all." she said.

"I've been dreaming about her for weeks now... It's weird that I didn't figure out that it was my zanpakutou who was appearing in my dreams."

"Her...? You're Zanpakutou's female?"

"Yeah... Very rarely that a male shinigami would have a zanpaktou spirit of the opposite gender, well I guess that's what makes me a genius..." said Kisuke, his tone changed, it sounded... friendlier.

"You must be feeling better then, still as cocky as ever..." she teased. Kisuke smiled. She was still the same too. "It was just like that time, during our third year... She saved you then too..."

"You remembered..."

"Well yeah... Who wouldn't? It was all over the school after it happened. A third year student being able to injure a menos..."

"So that's why you remembered? Because it was all over the academy?" He asked.

"Of course not..." she answered quickly. "Well... you were really injured then too..."

"You were also the one who found me..." Kisuke muttered, but he spoke too low that it was almost a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing..." he said. Yorouichi sighed. He was in front of her, and yet he still felt so distant.

"So uhm... a female Zanpakutou huh? I bet she's tall, pale, long wavy blonde hair, and big boobs?"

"Huh... you remembered Saiko too ?"

"Of course I do! Me and Isshin are the only ones who know about her..."

"Oh right... Well my zanpakutou, doesn't look anything like her..."

"Oh? What does she look like?" Yorouichi asked.

"It's a secret..." He said in a teasing tone. They both started laughing. "If she didn't help me out earlier, and back then too, Shunsui-san and I would have been long dead by now..."

"True... I remember the look on his face that day you took a cero for him... His eyes were bulging out of his sockets in shock, it was really funny..."

"I think he almost peed on himself when he thought he was done for by that Cero..."

Yoruichi chuckled softly. "Yeah..." They started laughing again. After a while the laughter died down, and they both just stayed where they are, not talking, for a few minutes. She was happy, being able to talk to him like this again after a year. She really missed him. And sometimes she wonders if he missed her too? Probably not, she did hurt him after all... Kisuke still faced the opposite direction, she could only see the back of his head, the rest of his body covered by the blanket. She walked closer to the bed and reached out to touch his flaxen hair... But stopped herself from doing so when she was only a few centimeters away. "I guess I should leave... You need to rest...." she said, as she turned to leave. "I'm really glad you're okay Kisuke..." Yourouichi was about to head for the door, when Kisuke suddenly grabbed her hand and turned to look at her. Yorouichi was just as stunned as he was. What was he doing?

"Err... Well... Thanks..." he mumbled. He let go of her hand and turned away from her again. Yorouichi felt her cheeks burning. "S-sure..." said Yorouichi as she quickly left the room. She ran from the infirmary as fast as she could, her heart beating a hundred times faster. Kisuke seemed really cold to her when he first saw her there, but surprisingly his hand was really warm.

* * *

Sayuri, on her way to the infirmary to visit Kisuke after her training, stopped just outside the door. She could hear voices inside. The voice was Kisuke's, but the other one was unmistakably Shihouin's. Should she just leave and give them privacy or should she eavesdrop? She chose the latter, she didn't have delicacy from the start anyway so why bother now? She pressed her ear against the door and listened in, The stupid door to the infirmary was too thick, she couldn't hear that well. But were they just laughing? And was Kisuke actually laughing? It was the first time, she'd ever heard him laugh like that, it sounded so natural. It was like this Kisuke was a completely different person. After a while, she could hear footsteps nearing the door, Yorouichi was about to leave, she didn't have much time to hide, and instead just leaned next to door, as she looked down, hoping to hide her face. Yorouichi didn't even notice her, as she left in such a hurry. What just happened? Did Kisuke say something? But they were just laughing. Shrugging the thought away, she casually entered the infirmary, and went to stand beside Kisuke's bed.

"Why'd you come back?" said Kisuke. He turned to look expecting to see the Shihouin heiress, and his eyes widened when he saw Sayuri instead. "Oh uh... Sayuri... Hey..."

"Hey!" she greeted him cheerfully, too cheerfully. She patted him on the head really hard.

"Ow!" Kisuke flinched.

"Suck it up! That injury should be nothing!" said Sayuri. "I saw the heiress leaving. Did you thank her? She was the one who found you!"

"Uh... yes I did..." Kisuke answered shyly. Sayuri was acting so casual about all this. Shouldn't she be mad that he talked to her?

"Good! When Isshin and Kuukaku came to us and told us you were off fighting alone, that heiress moved to find you so fast, I almost didn't see her. Almost like she was using shunpo or something..."

Yorouichi had always been fast, ever since they were freshmen. "Sayuri... about Yorouichi..." Kisuke started to say. But Sayuri kept on talking.

"Well she might've saved you but, I won't go easy on her during the tournament!" said Sayuri, completely confident in her own words.

"Umm... Sayuri about that..."

"Kisuke, we've been over this, I'm not afraid of her mad zanpakutou skills or her hoho skills. You don't need to worry! So just be a good boy and stay here okay? The tournament is in two days. You should be well enough by then..." Sayuri grinned at him as she turned to leave.

"Leaving so soon?" Kisuke asked. She was definitely acting weird... weirder than usual.

"Yeah I have to go train more! See yah Kisuke!" Sayuri blew him a flying kiss and left the infirmary skipping. Something was up, he could feel it.

* * *

After a few days, Kisuke was released from the infirmary, but was advised to take things slow for a while. He waited at the open courtyard, on one of the benches, waiting for Isshin and Sayuri who promised to pick him up.

"Yo Kisuke my friend!" greeted Isshin. He was with Retsu as usual.

"Ready to go home?" said Retsu.

"Yeah... Sayuri's not here yet, we should wait for her..."

"Oh okay then..." Isshin and Retsu also sat down on the bench, sitting in between Kisuke. "Where is she anyway?" Isshin asked.

"Probably training again..."

"Training? But I haven't seen her at the training room for days now..." said Isshin.

"Really? But she told me she had been training really hard everyday there..."

"Huh? Could she be using a different training room then?"

"You know we can only use the training rooms assigned for sixth years..." said Retsu.

"You know Sayuri... she probably wanted a more quiet training room, so she probably bullied some first years and used their training rooms." said Isshin. And that actually makes sense. Sayuri was that kind of person.

"You want us to look for her?" Retsu asked him. Kisuke shook his head. "No it's okay. Let's just wait for her some more..." said Kisuke and the two nodded. Classes were done for today, and most of the students were on their way home to the dorms, or to their houses.

"Yorouichi!" Retsu called. Yorouichi was on her way home. With her was a girl with wavy strawberry blonde hair called Matsumoto, and the other was a girl with short black hair called Soi Fon. They were the girls that Yorouichi had been hanging out with the past year. Byakuya was with them too.

"Hi!" She greeted Retsu. She simply smiled at Isshin and Kisuke in greeting.

"Training again?" Retsu asked. Yorouichi nodded. "Soi Fon and Byakuya practically begged me to help them with their training." as she ruffled Byakuya and Soi Fon's hair, which annoyed Byakuya, but made Soi Fon blush in excitement.

"I did not beg... You dragged me off to train with you..." said Byakuya, his arms crossed in annoyance.

"Oh come off it Byakuya... you've wanted Yorouichi-san to train you ever since we were freshmen." Matsumoto teased. Byakuya glared at the curvy girl.

"That's Byakuya-sama to you..."

"Sure sure... Urahara-sempai, feeling better?" asked Matsumoto.

"Yeah..."

"You still look terrible. You should get some more rest! The tournament starts tomorrow, and its going to be so intense, you'd kill yourself if you were to miss it!" said Matsumoto.

"That's true..." Kisuke smiled at the young girl's enthusiasm.

"We'll see you guys at the tournament tomorrow! Byakuya let's go! You said you'd let me eat expensive sushi at your place if I practiced with you!" Matsumoto took a hold of Byakuya's uniform and dragged him away, the latter complaining all the way until they saw the two disappear from sight.

"Didn't know Byakuya and that hot chick Matsumoto were friends..." said Isshin. Retsu smacked him really hard.

"Oh they've been friends since first year. Byakuya may seem like a spoiled rich kid, but he doesn't discriminate people based on status. He hangs out with you guys too after all..." said Yorouichi.

"True... Byakuya's a good kid, a little whiny at times though..." said Kisuke. The others agreed with him on this too. "Think he'll do good at the tournament tomorrow?" Kisuke asked Yorouichi. She was caught off-guard at first, what with him suddenly talking to her so casually.

"Uh yeah... He's been training really hard with Matsumoto these past few days. Soi Fon's participating too and she's gotten really good!" Yorouichi praised her protege.

"Yorouichi-sama you're embarrasing me..." said Soi Fon. Isshin, Retsu and Kisuke started laughing at the young girl. She was so obsessed with Yorouichi, it was really cute.

"Well, I guess we should be going home then. I'll see you guys tomorrow..."

"Take care then... See you..." Kisuke said. Yorouichi blushed profusely. Kisuke actually told her to take care? Did he finally come to his senses...? Or was he just being nice since Retsu was here? Yorouichi waved goodbye to Retsu and Isshin as she left with Soi Fon. No use thinking about it, she needed to focus on tomorrow's tournament. As soon as Yorouichi left, Retsu and Isshin turned to look at Kisuke, and both had confused looks on their faces.

"What? Is there something on my face?" asked Kisuke.

"Did you just talk to Yorouichi?!"

"What's wrong with talking to a girl from the same class?"

"Kisuke, you know what we mean." said Retsu.

"Well... I can't be mean to her, she did save me."

"So what does this mean? Are you two friends again?" asked Retsu.

Truthfully, he didn't know. He just kinda went with the flow there. " I don't know..." he told them. Isshin and Retsu looked at each other, as though they were communicating through esp. Two girls from their class Yamato and Iori, had approached them and greeted them.

"Urahara-kun! It's good to see that you had been released from the infirmary!"

"Yes, thank you Yamato-san..."

"Urahara-kun, thank you, if it wasn't for you, we would all have been dead. You're really amazing!" said Iori.

"Thanks...Oh by the way, Have you seen Sohma ?" Kisuke asked, Sayuri was terribly late.

"No... I haven't been seeing her in the training rooms recently..." said Iori.

"Sohma-san? I think I just saw her. I saw her leaving Tsukabishi sensei's office." said Yamato. " I've seen her there quite a few times now..." she added.

What was she doing there? Kisuke had known her a few months now but not once did she mention personally knowing the headmaster. His suspicions were true after all. Something was definitely going on with Sayuri and he would find out about it sooner or later.

* * *

Today was the most celebrated day in the academy. The last day of the 15th annual school festival of the Spiritual Arts Academy. The event was open to the public, to Rukongai commoners, Shinigami of the Gotei 13, and members of the nobility. The most awaited event, the first ever tournament, was just about to start. Kisuke, along with Retsu, Isshin, Kuukaku, and Sayuri, were walking around the different booths set up in the courtyard. Just passing time before the tournament's finals. Kisuke still hasn't had the chance to ask Sayuri what was going on. Sayuri had been avoiding him recently, always telling him that she was busy preparing for the tournament, which he now knows was a lie. He wanted to confront her about it, but every time they were left alone, she'd come up with something else to do, or talk about a completely different subject. He figured he would just corner her after the tournament.

"Hey guys!!!" Ukitake called them, Kyoraku Shunsui, and a tall handsome man with glasses following the two shinigami.

"Jushiro-san! And Kyoraku too!" Kisuke greeted. "...and... uhm..."

"This is Aizen Sosuke, he was in the same class as us in the academy, remember?" (a/n: Bwahaha Aizen is here! Dunno why I included him, I guess I kinda wanted to write him, he's kicking so much ass in the manga!)

"Oh right! He was also one of the tutors too right?" asked Isshin.

"Yeah... He's now the 8th seat of the 5th squad. Me and Kyoraku saw him wandering around the courtyard alone so we invited him to come with us." said Ukitake. Ever the nice guy.

"Urahara! Good to see you in one piece after that incident!" Kyoraku teased.

"Good to see you too Kyoraku! I bet you're here to see Nanao-chan huh?"

"Nanao-chan? Where?!" Kyouraku looked around him, his head twisting in different directions, they started laughing at him.

"Its a good thing you guys were able to get a day off today. It's the tournament finals!" said Isshin.

"We wanted to watch the tournament from the start, but it wasn't possible, we only got an off for today..." said Ukitake. A ringing tone echoed throughout the academy. It was an announcement, the tournament's finals was about to begin. The group then headed to the academy's auditorium, were the tournament was to be held. The auditorium was arranged differently for the tournament, it now resembled a coliseum, which the Commander designed himself. The auditorium was almost completely packed, while looking for empty seats, they saw Matsumoto, who was with Nanao, waving at them and gesturing at the empty row of seats in front of hers. Isshin and Kuukaku excused themselves from the others, they got through the finals of the tournament. The rest of them seated themselves at the seats Matsumoto saved for them and settled in.

"Matsumoto, I thought you were in the tournament too?" Ukitake asked. The younger girl nodded. " Yeah but during my third match, I forfeited..."

"Why?"

"I was up against Yorouichi-san... There's no way I'd be able to beat her." said Matsumoto.

"Hey Aizen, maybe you could find future recruits during the tournament." said Kyoraku. "You said your division was looking for a lot of recruits right?"

"Yes... We need kido users though..."

"Isn't there a kido tournament too?" Kyouraku asked Kisuke.

"Yeah, but the finals were yesterday. Someone already won... For Zanjutsu too..." Kisuke explained. "Today's the finals for the mixed tournament, meaning all forms of combat can be used..." he continued.

"Oh man... We missed it!" said Kyouraku

"So who won?" Aizen asked.

"Sayuri won the female division of the Kido Tournament, and Byakuya won the male division... Dunno who won in Zanjutsu though... I wasn't able to watch..."

"Byakuya-kun won? That's great! But I guess that's just natural, you've been teaching him Kido haven't you?" said Ukitake.

"Yep!" Kisuke beamed. Byakuya complained a lot whenever he taught him but he was a really fast learner, very eager.

"The Sayuri who won the Kido Tournament, is this the same Sayuri you mentioned before?" Jushiro inquired. Kisuke nodded.

"Who's Sayuri?" Kyoraku asked.

"Kisuke-kun's new girlfriend..."

"What? Then what about Yoru..." Kyouraku was interrupted when Retsu cut him off.

"Isshin won in the Zanjutsu tournament... and Yorouichi was the female champion..." Retsu informed them.

"Oh he did? No wonder he was all giddy yesterday..." said Kisuke. He was not surprised at all to find out that Yorouichi won, she was really a talented swordsman. Kyoraku was about to speak again to continue what he was about to say, but Ukitake had covered his mouth and held up a finger to his lips, to gesture him to keep quiet. Completely ignored, Kyoraku turned his attention to Nanao instead, the latter glaring at his advances through her eyeglasses. Kisuke turned his attention to the center of the coliseum, where the stage was. The contestants were all sitting an waiting for their matches to begin. The female announcer, a member of the student council, cleared her throat as she announced the first match. The first match for the female division was between Kuukaku and Soi Fon. Soi Fon was light on her feet, very agile and quick, much like Yorouichi, and she was a fairly good Kido user too, but she was no match for a more experienced fighter like Kuukaku. Kuukaku won the match with brute strength, she didn't even bother to use kido, she sucks at it anyway. Kuukaku was going to proceed to the next round. On the male side, the first match was between Byakuya and Mashiba Kyou. It was not a very interesting match, Byakuya obliterated the poor guy in just five minutes.

Yorouichi patiently sat on the benches of the waiting area, waiting for her next match. It was finally the match she had been training for. It was against Sohma Sayuri. Yorouichi was quite impressed with her fighting skills, she was a really good fighter, and she was frighteningly good at kido too. She didn't feel that confident about winning this fight. Sure she had the advantages with swordsmanship, but Sayuri's aptitude in kido was sure to play a major factor in their fight later on. Yorouichi glanced at Sayuri, who was seated at the far end of the waiting area, she was surprised to see that she was looking at her too. She turned her head away from her quickly. Sayuri stood from where she was sitting and made her way towards the Shihouin heiress.

"Say..." Sayuri began. Yorouichi turned to face her. "What do you say we change the prize for the winner?"

"Huh?"

"Remember how we said, that if I won, you're not going to talk to him anymore, and that if you won, you'll talk to him whenever you like? Well how about we change the stakes?"

"Change?"

"Yeah..."

"So what is it now?" Yorouichi asked, although she had a feeling that it would have something to do with Kisuke.

"If I win, you'll have to give up on Kisuke completely..."

"And if I win...?"

"And if you win... I'll give Kisuke back to you..." Sayuri told her. She knew it, she knew it would have something to do about Kisuke....

"W-wait what?! Are you serious?" Yorouichi exclaimed, she couldn't believe what this girl just said.

Sayuri grinned at her.

"The next match is between Shihouin Yorouichi, from class 6-1, versus Sohma Sayuri also from 6-1. Please come up the stage." Sayuri gave one last look at her, as she proceeded to the stage. Leaving a very stunned Yorouichi behind.

* * *

"Oooooh! The next match is between Shihouin-sama and that girl Sohma!"

"Sohma? That weird sixth year girl who won the kido tournament yesterday?"

"Yeah! The same one! The one that was rumored to be dating Urahara Kisuke!"

"Eh?! A girl like that? Dating THE Urahara Kisuke?"

"Yeah! I heard that they're fighting for Urahara, both girls are out to get him!"

"Really? Well who wouldn't blame them! Urahara's hot!"

"I know right?!"

Retsu nudged him as he turned away from the gossiping younger students. "Kisuke, ignore them." she told him. That was easier said than done, those girls were speaking so loudly, it was hard for him not to hear. Did they not see him sitting just a few seats away from them?

"The match is about to begin..." Retsu informed him. Sayuri and Yorouichi had come up to the stage. Sayuri was warming up, while Yorouichi simply stood across from her, unmoving. They couldn't see her face very well, they were too far away. Was Yorouichi actually nervous? That seemed to be the case, since the referee had to call her attention twice to move forward. The referee then explained the rules for the fight. Any form of combat can be used. Points will be awarded to every blow they deliver, depending on the weight of the damage and the technique used. The match is over when a player reaches 10 points, or when his/her opponent is no longer able to fight, or has given up. The referee ushered them both to move forward as they shook hands. They back away from each other and waited for the signal.

"Fight!" The referee shouted. Sayuri drew her katana, and dashed towards Yorouichi. Sayuri did a flurry of slashes and thrusts, all of which Yorouichi was able to easily dodge. She was fast but Yorouichi was definitely faster. Sayuri backed away from her, and started chanting very fast. Yorouichi started chanting too.

"Way of Destruction number 58! Orchid Sky!" Sayuri fired a tornado-like blast towards Yorouichi.

"Way of Binding number 39! Arc Shield!" Yorouichi had summoned a shield of condensed reiatsu, completely blocking Sayuri's kido.

"2 points to Shihouin!"

Before the tornado completely dissipated, Sayuri dashed towards Yorouichi again, katana held in front of her. Sayuri did a flurry of hacks and slashes again, Yorouichi parrying each of her attacks. Sayuri attacked again her katana only held in one hand, their katanas clashed. Yorouichi had both of her hands on her katana, to parry her attack, but before she could do so, a ball of reiatsu was already forming on Sayuri's other hand.

"Way of Destruction number 31! Shot of Red Fire!" Sayuri fired her kido at Yorouichi at such a close range, she didn't have time to dodge. She was hit on her abdomen and she stumbled backwards, but was able to gain her footing.

"3 points to Sohma!" the referree anounced.

It was Yorouichi this time who initiated an attack, she lunged towards Sayuri as she attacked her with quick slashes, Sayuri was able to parry her attacks, but with difficulty on her part, Yorouichi's quick blows were very powerful. She could really feel the force of Yorouichi's slashes, her hands were starting to hurt. Sayuri backed a few paces away from her again, making a pose to chant another spell. Yorouichi dashed towards her, before she could start chanting. But Sayuri was not chanting, she was already casting it without an incantation.

"Way of Destruction number 4! White Lightning!" Sayuri fired a powerful and concentrated lightning bolt from the tip of her fingers. Yorouichi couldn't dodge in time, as she was hit by the spell again as she fell backwards with a loud thud.

"4 points to Sohma! " The crowd, who earlier was cheering for Yorouichi, was now cheering for Sayuri. Though the nobility, still cheered for the Shihouin princess.

Yorouichi stood up, now that one really hurt. Her left arm took most of the damage, clutching her katana with her left arm hurt, so she used her right arm to hold it instead.

"Yorouichi's left handed, right?" Retsu asked. Kisuke nodded. Yorouichi's blows with her left were twice more powerful compared to her right. Kisuke knew this, of course, she told Sayuri this a few days ago, and Sayuri had used that to her advantage.

"That girlfriend of yours is really serious Kisuke-kun." Ukitake told him. Sayuri really was serious about this... too serious in fact. Kisuke had never seen her this serious before. Just what was with her?

Yorouichi dashed towards her again, as she delivered another flurry of quick slashed with her right this time, even though her left arm was injured, it didn't mess up with her speed at all. Sayuri could barely keep up with her. Sayuri saw an opening, and she chanced upon it, she grabbed Yorouichi's left arm, Yorouichi flinched in pain, but she broke free from her grasp and pushed her away. Yorouichi moved even more faster than before, Sayuri couldn't predict her movements anymore. Sayuri slashed at her, and she was able to hit her, only to realize that what she hit was just an after image. Yorouichi had slashed her from behind, Sayuri fell to the ground, bleeding.

"5 points for Shihouin for the amazing use of Hoho!"

"_That was... Cicada..? She's already perfected it?"_ Kisuke thought. That was the same technique that Yorouichi had shown her a few years ago. Her use of it now was way more powerful than before.

Sayuri quickly stood up, and picked up her katana, she had let go of it when she fell down. Shihouin Yorouichi was definitely a force to be reckoned with. There was only one way she knew she could finish this fight. As soon as she grabbed her katana, she sprang towards Yorouichi, chanting. From a few meters away from Yorouichi she cast the spell.

"Carriage of Thunder, Bridge of a Spinning wheel, With light, divide this into six! Way of Binding number 61! Six Rods Prison of Light!" Yorouichi didn't think she'd be able to move right away, what with her injury. She couldn't avoid the spell, it had hit her, and six wide beams of light had slammed into her mid-section, holding her into place. She was suspended in midair. She couldn't move at all, her katana dropped to the ground. Sayuri was closing in on her, her katana poised to slash. This was it for her, if Sayuri hit her now, she would win the match. Yorouichi closed her eyes and waited for Sayuri's blow to happen, as he thought of Kisuke... She tightened her fists, this was it... Wait, how come she could move her fists now? That's when she realized that the spell didn't have a hold on her anymore, it was on her, but she could already move. Sayuri was almost near her, with all the strength she could muster in her injured left arm, she raised her arm and and prepared to attack. Sayuri slashed at her, but Yorouichi was faster, she had beaten her to it. Her punch had sent Sayuri spiralling towards the ground. Sayuri landed on to the hard ground with a loud thud. The ground below her had cracked from the force of Yorouichi's blow.

"3 Points for Shihouin! Match over, Shihouin Wins!" The announcer cried. The whole crowd burst into applause. Yorouichi couldn't believe it... What was that? She was pretty sure she was just about to be defeated... What the hell did just happen?

* * *

a/n: Oh wow! An update after 2 days! A new record for me! Haha... Maybe its because, i'm currently unemployed! Yay! Expect an update soon! Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys still haven't abandoned this story! I had a very huge smile on my face while i was reading your reviews. They really made my day... Heehee...

Oh and about the plot, I'm trying my hardest to make this story as close as possible to the actual story, so bear with me, Pwease?

And anyway... Tell me what you guys think!!! :))


	21. Chapter 21

a/n: The following chapter contains really cheesy lines! Don't say I didn't warn you!!!

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"3 Points for Shihouin! Match over, Shihouin Wins!" The announcer cried. The whole crowd burst into applause. Yorouichi couldn't believe it... What was that? She was pretty sure she was just about to be defeated... What the hell did just happen? The whole crowd cheered for the Shihouin heiress. A lot of people where starting to gather around her, to congratulate her but Yorouichi simply stood there, unmoving and with a dazed expression on her face. She noticed Sayuri had stood up from the ground, dusted herself off, and left the coliseum, using the growing crowd as a diversion to slip out unnoticed. She looked at the spot where she saw Kisuke had been watching earlier, he was no longer there. Yorouichi slipped past the crowd, to follow Sayuri. Sayuri was walking too fast for someone who was just injured. She squeezed through the crowd to follow her, and demand for answers from the girl. It just didn't make sense to her. Sayuri left the auditorium quickly, Yorouichi followed her all the way to the courtyard.

"H-hey!" she shouted, Sayuri didn't hear her as she kept on walking. She was about to call her again, when she saw Kisuke standing there, at the other side of the courtyard, he was waiting in front of the entrance to the second building. She stopped on her tracks, she saw a nearby tree, standing just a few feet away from where the other two were. She hid there, and listened in on the two. (a/n: the characters really love to eavesdrop don't they? Hahaha!)

"Sayuri... Wha...?" Kisuke began.

"Hey... You were right, Shihouin is a really good fighter. She pummeled me!" said Sayuri, she sounded like her usual cheery self, she didn't sound like she felt bad about losing.

"You... Why did you release that kido on her? If you didn't, you should have won..." said Kisuke.

Sayuri sighed, as she crossed her arms. "Eh? What do you mean? Shihouin was really good, she broke out of the binding spell on her own!" said Sayuri, that didn't convice him at all. Sayuri avoided looking at him directly, she was staring intently at the ground.

"Sayuri, what are you hiding?"

"Hiding? I'm not hiding anything Kisuke... What's with you all of a sudden?" Kisuke walked towards her, and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her too look at him.

"Why aren't you looking at me? And don't play dumb... you know what I'm talking about!" Kisuke raised his voice, he was starting to get pissed. Sayuri still avoided his eyes, as she refused to speak.

"So you're just not going to say anything huh?" Kisuke tightened his grip on her. Sayuri grabbed his hands, and gently released them from her shoulders. She reached with both hands to cup his face.

"Kisuke, I'm leaving..." she finally said, as she looked straight into his eyes.

Kisuke's eyes shot wide open. "W-what are you saying?" he stuttered. The sound of her voice, it didn't sound like she was joking.

"Well... I don't know where to start... Why don't we sit down first?" Sayuri pulled him with her, as they both sat on the stone steps leading to the second building. Sayuri took a deep breath and continued. "Headmaster Tsukabishi was appointed as the new Kido Corps Captain... and as the new captain, it is also part of his job to look for new recruits. The headmaster took notice of my talent in Kido, and asked me If I was willing to graduate a few months earlier, and join the Kido Corps..."

"W-wait... Kido Corps? Graduate early..?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. And why so suddenly?

Sayuri took both of his hands in hers. "I accepted his offer... I'm leaving in a few days..." said Sayuri.

"You accepted it...?" asked Kisuke. Sayuri nodded.

"Of course I did! I couldn't pass up on such an opportunity. I owe it to Uncle Choujiro too, I know he'll be so proud..." she said. Sasakibe Choujiro had raised her ever since her parents died. Sasakibe treated her like a daughter. Kisuke knew Sayuri had great respect for her uncle.

"True... But... Does this mean we're breaking up?" he managed to ask.

"I guess so! I strongly believe that long distance relationships do not work!" she said. That was just like her.

"This is all... so sudden.." Kisuke mumbled. He was at a lost for words.

"I know... and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner... I didn't how or where to start."

"But... What does this have to do with you purposely throwing away the tournament?" Kisuke asked. Sayuri hesitated a bit, before she answered.

"I told Shihouin that if she won, I'm giving you back to her..." she told him. Kisuke glared at her.

"What?! Why the hell did you do that?!" he protested.

"Come on Kisuke, we both know that you're still madly in love with her, and she's still terribly in love with you too! I'm just helping you both out here. Aren't I nice?" Sayuri smirked.

"Why did you do something like that? You're the one who asked me out in the first place. I thought you liked me?" Kisuke asked her. Sayuri sighed, as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's why I did that." she smiled at him. "You're too stubborn to admit that you still have feelings for her. I'm helping you out here, you know?"

"But I didn't ask you to help me out Sayuri, I just... I need you to stay with me... Otherwise I won't be..." he trailed off, Sayuri held up a finger to his lips.

"You'll be fine Kisuke..." she assured him, as she took both of his hands in hers. "You're stronger now! You've been through so much, and Shihouin too. You have to face her Kisuke, and tell her how you actually feel. Otherwise you'll regret it. It's always been her Kisuke, you know that... you just don't want to get hurt again, that's why you're avoiding your true feelings... Suck it up and tell her how you really feel!" Sayuri told him, her voice back to its usual tone. Kisuke smiled at her.

"Who would have thought I'd hear such cheesy lines from you...?" Kisuke teased.

"I know right?" she smiled at him again. It was such a beautiful smile, but there was a definite hint of sadness within her smile. It hurt her too, to let him go.

"So I guess we're over then..."

"Yeah... Friends?"

"Of course."

* * *

"I can't believe you're actually leaving..."

"Aww... You gonna miss me, Isshin?"

"...and just when you you were getting my name right..." Isshin sighed. He and Sayuri argued a lot and teased each other, but Isshin really liked her. She was a very honest person, she said whatever she was thinking, and not caring about what other people thought.

Sayuri jabbed Isshin in the shoulder. "You aren't that bad either, Kurosaki! Make sure you take good care of Retsu, okay?"

"Of course! Retsu is in good hands!!" said Isshin.

"I wonder about that..." Retsu said as they all started laughing. They were all at Sasakibe's former house in Eastern Rukongai, were Sayuri lived. Helping her pack her things. Sayuri had received her credentials just yesterday and was now a graduate of the Spiritual Arts Academy. She was leaving today. As a member of the Kido Corps, she had to live in the housing area that the Corps provided.

"You guys done packing? Kisuke's almost done cooking!" said Kuukaku, who came from the kitchen.

"Kuukaku, instead of hanging around the kitchen and taste testing the food, why don't you help us pack here?" Isshin told the Shiba heiress. Kuukaku stuck her tongue at him, as she went back to the kitchen.

"Will you be able to visit us, Sayuri-sempai?" Nanao Ise asked. Even though Nanao was the serious type, she had grown to love hanging out with the cheerful and out-going Sayuri.

"I dunno... I might become too busy to drop by the academy. I'll try though!" said Sayuri.

"I guess we'll see you after we graduate, once we become Shinigami!" said Isshin. Sayuri nodded.

"Maybe, but before that, better make sure you past your tests first! No squad would recruit a student with bad kido grades!" Sayuri smirked. Isshin glared at her. Just then, they heard someone knocking on the door. Isshin stopped putting things into boxes as he went to open the door. They were greeted by an expressionless Byakuya, carrying an expensive looking lunch box, and a smiling Matsumoto behind him.

"Hiya! You guys still packing? We should get this party started!" said Matsumoto, as she let herself in, Byakuya in tow. Byakuya looked around the small dirty house in disgust, but he went in anyway.

"Matsumoto! And Byakuya-bo too! Thanks for coming." Sayuri hugged the younger girl, and proceeded to pat Byakuya on the shoulder. Noticing the box he was carrying, she quickly took the lunch box from Byakuya and settled it down on a nearby table and peeked inside.

"Sushi made by the Kuchiki family's chef! Aww Byakuya-bo, didn't know you liked me that much!" Sayuri squealed in delight. She jumped into the the unwilling arms of Byakuya, and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Must...not... hit...girls..." The Kuchiki heir silently chanted. While hugging Byakuya, Sayuri noticed someone standing in front of the still opened door. It was Yorouichi. Sayuri let go of Byakuya, and made her way to the door to face the Shihouin heiress.

"I heard you were leaving today..." she muttered.

"Yup! Came to say goodbye?"

"Yes...And um... I wanted to talk to you..."

"About what?" Sayuri asked.

"Um... Can we talk somewhere private?" said Yorouichi. Sayuri looked behind her, Byakuya, Matsumoto, Nanao, Isshin and Retsu were all staring at them.

"Sure. Outside then?" Yorouichi nodded. Sayuri closed the door behind her as she proceeded into the street and started walking, Yorouichi followed after her. After a while Sayuri stopped walking, she pointed at a sakura tree. She went to sit at the base of the tree. Yorouichi did the same.

"Pretty sure they won't hear us here." said Sayuri. "Well? What did you want to talk about?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"I accidentally heard you and Kisuke talking after the tournament..." Yorouichi admitted. "Why did you do that? I thought you didn't like me?"

"I really didn't like you. When I first saw you in class, I had the impression that you were really nice and friendly even though you're a noble. But when I approached you acted all high and mighty, but It was so fake and that annoyed the hell out of me. I hate it when I see people acting, and not being true to themselves." said Sayuri. "But I guess.. since you've decided to take Kisuke back, you want to change all that?"

"I really do. I want to be more true to myself. People may say things about me, but I really wouldn't care. I just want to live my life the way I want it..." Yorouichi thought Sayuri was surprisingly easy to talk to.

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" Sayuri exclaimed. "I wouldn't want to leave Kisuke to you if you weren't determined."

"I know its going to be a rough road but... I'm sure it'll be alright, I won't runaway from my feelings for him anymore."

"Right. You should tell him that." said Sayuri.

"Why though, why give up on him? Don't you love him?"

"I do... I really do... But Kisuke never really loved me. It's always been you. I could never take your place. Kisuke thought he could replace you with me, but that's just not possible. He was a fool for thinking he could forget about you just like that...Hey, do me a favor, will ya?"

"What?' Yorouichi asked, why she asked her of all people a favor, she really didn't know.

"Don't let go of him no matter what. Because If you do and I hear about it, you better bet your ass I'll take him from you! Clear?"

"Y-yes..." Yorouichi agreed. Sayuri smiled at her as she extended her hand. Yorouichi took it gladly. This girl may seem like her complete opposite, and she may have annoyed the hell out of her before, but they did share something in common... and it had something to do with a lazy-ass blond genius.

* * *

"Visit us whenever you can, okay?" Nanao told Sayuri.

"I'll try." She said as she smiled at the younger girl.

"You better behave Sayuri, don't do anything rash and stupid!"

"Right back at ya, Isshin."

"Take care of yourself, Sayuri."

"You too Retsu...See you around Byakuya-bo!"

"Hmph, I hope not." said Byakuya, as he turned around and started to walk away.

"Don't mind him Sohma-san, I'm sure deep down, really deep deep down, he's sad that you're leaving."

"Haha! True true. See ya, Matsumoto!" said Sayuri, as she shook the younger girl's hand.

"Yup! It was really nice to get to know you Sohma-san. See ya!" said Matsumoto, as she bowed at Sayuri and quickly followed after Byakuya.

"Hey you, Better not forget about us when you rise through the ranks!" said Kuukaku. Sayuri smirked at her and nodded.

"Of course not! I'll make sure to parade my success in front of your faces!" She gloated. Sasakibe stepped out of the carriage that would escort Sayuri to the Kido Corp's Headquarters.

"Sayuri, It's time."

"Yes Uncle, be right there!" she told him. Sasakibe went back inside the carriage. "So I guess this is it, huh?" She looked at the faces of the people she came to know and love as her friends. She would really miss them, even though they haven't known each other that long. "Kisuke..." she called him. He was at the back, hiding behind his friends. He had been quiet all day. "No parting words?" she asked.

"Bye..." he muttered. Sayuri walked towards him, and pulled him into a tight hug. At first Kisuke just stood there, but eventually, he wrapped his arms around her, and buried his face into her hair. Sayuri stroked his hair and whispered into his ear. "You'll be fine without me."

Kisuke pulled back, and smiled at her. " See you around, Miss Kido Corps member." he told her. Sayuri grinned at him.

"Yeah you too, Mr. Genius!" Sayuri waved one last time at the rest of her friends, as she stepped inside the carriage. They all stood there, following the carriage as it took off and disappeared when it turned into an intersection. Sohma Sayuri had left them just as sudden as when she first came into their lives. But she did leave quite an impression them, she would surely be missed.

Kisuke took one last look at Sayuri's house, as he followed behind the others who had started walking on their way home.

"Kisuke..." a voice called him from behind. He could recognize the voice from anywhere. He turned around to face her. He didn't avoid her gaze this time, as his green eyes met with her gold ones for the first time in months.

"Hey..." He greeted her. Yorouichi took a deep breath before she spoke.

"I...uhm... you see..." Yorouichi was having problems with coherency, and at such an important time too.

"Would it be alright if I talked first?" Kisuke asked her. Yorouichi nodded. "I'm still in love with you." he told her. Yorouichi felt her heart skip a beat. His face was all serious and straight, he really meant it. Yorouichi wanted to start leaping in joy, but stopped herself from doing so. Instead she cleared her throat, and found her voice.

"I-I'm... still in love with you too..." she managed to say. She could feel her cheeks burning. She was finally able to say it. She felt relieved in a way.

"I know, and I'm happy that you still feel the same way..." said Kisuke. Yorouichi was about to speak, when Kisuke beat her to it. "But... I don't think we should be getting back together." he added. Yorouichi felt her heart sink, the feeling of rejection,coming down on her.

"Why not?" she asked him, her voice a bit shaky.

Kisuke scratched the back of his head. Yorouichi knew what it meant, he was nervous. "We've been through so much, this past year. And even though our feelings for each other haven't changed, we've both become different people. Sure, we're both aspiring to be the same thing, but we're still very different people. I'm not saying that I don't want to be with you again... I'm just not ready to be in a relationship just yet. I just... really want to make sure that when we do get together again, nothing's going to go wrong again. I'm not making that much sense, am I?" Kisuke rambled. Yorouichi shook her head. "I guess not..." he trailed off. "Well It's like..errr... eating your favorite food."

"Eating?" she asked him, a confused expression on her face.

"When you're faced with mountains of your favorite food, naturally you'd want to eat it, stuff your face in it, because you love it so much, but after eating so much, you get indigestion, and it hurts like hell. Even though you really love that food, you still couldn't avoid getting hurt because you loved it too much. So after a while, you come across your favorite food again, but instead of jumping right into it to eat it, you'd be more cautious this time, because you know that if you're not careful, you could end up having indigestion again. You know that you want it so much, but you have to proceed with caution because you don't want to go through the same thing again. Do you get the analogy?"

"A bit... I guess." said Yorouichi.

"It's not that I don't want to be with you... I just want to take things slow for a while..."

"That makes sense..."

"So what I'm trying to say is... why don't we start all over by being friends again?" Kisuke asked. It wasn't quite was she expecting, but what he said did make sense. She would accept it of course, she'd rather be his friend than just being a classmate. It was better than nothing.

"Sure... Friends." Yorouichi wasn't really quite happy about that, but if she could start hanging out with Kisuke, it would make a lot of difference. And that was something she could absolutely live with.

* * *

a/n: sorry it was short, kinda rushed it, don't wanna disappoint you guys again by taking too long to update! So? What do you think? Don't forget to review this one too, 'kay? I'm gonna miss writing Sayuri, she was such a fun character! Did you read the latest bleach manga? Damn aizen is wickedly cool! I'm rambling, anyways, i'll try not to take too long to update! Cheers!

Oh and on another note, really sorry if it's not as close to the real thing... i started this fic way before the pendulum arc came out, so back then i didn't really know who was older, or who became a captain first. But don't worry! I'll make it as close to the real thing as possible!

Thank you so much for the reviews! Keep em coming! ^_^


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

disclaimer: I do not own bleach, obviously, that's why I'm here!

* * *

A couple of weeks before Graduation, the sixth years were as busy as ever. Most of them could be seen studying for hours at the library, since they were bombarded with quizzes and written exercises almost everyday. Even after classes the sixth years were still practing. Most of them were practicing kido spells in the training rooms, and others were at the academy's outdoor training areas for zanjutsu. Shihouin Yorouichi was one of those students who were practicing kido. She was a pretty decent kido user... She didn't have any problems with binding spells, she could do up to 50 without an incantation. But destruction spells on the otherhand, was her weakness. She could do the simple spells easily, but the higher ones, she was having problems with. She left the training room in a hurry, a spell she was trying to do had back fired and she burned herself a bit. She made her way to the library in search of Retsu. True enough she was there, at the farmost and quietest area. She was reading a book as per usual. She looked up from her book and her eyes travelled to Yorouichi's burnt hand.

"What happened to your hand?" Retsu asked her. She put her book down and pulled out the seat next to her. Yorouichi took it.

Yorouichi placed her hand on the table as Retsu examined it. "Number 63..." she told her. She winced when Retsu started healing it. She could feel the surge of her reaitsu flowing into her wound. It only took Retsu a few seconds to heal her. Her hand was back to normal. "Thanks." she muttered.

"No problem."

"Retsu, can I ask a favor?" she asked. Retsu nodded and she continued. "Can you help me practice destruction spells?"

"I'd really love to help you out Yorouichi, but I'm really busy. I have student council meetings to attend to, and I'm part of the Library committee too." said Retsu.

Yorouichi sighed. "Oh right, I forgot about that... Oh well..."

"Hey, why don't you ask Kisuke? Destruction spells is like child's play to him. I'm sure he won't mind." Retsu told her, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"K-kisuke?" she blushed. "But isn't he busy?"

"Not recently. He told me that he wasn't doing a project now, and it's not like he needs to study for tests."

"But won't he mind?"

"Of course not. Aren't you two friends again? Why so shy?" Retsu teased her.

"I'm not shy! I-it's just that... Well we haven't really talked much since then..." They were friends again but there was still awkwardness between them, they didn't know how to be around each other anymore.

"Then this is the perfect chance to work on your renewed friendship! Didn't he used to help you with kido back then?"

"Yeah.." she answered. She owed him a lot back then. She wouldn't have made it through all those years if it wasn't for him.

"You should go ask him. I think he's at the classroom." Retsu urged her. Yorouichi got up from her seat and left the library. Retsu smiled at her retreating form. Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

When Yorouichi got to their classroom, it was completely empty, except for the lump at the far back of the room. She walked towards him and stood in front of his seat. He had his arms crossed on top of the table and he was leaning on it... he was asleep. His unruly hair was all over his handsome face. Yorouichi couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since she saw him like this. She would just ask him later, she really didn't want to disturb him. She turned to leave, but failed to notice a pen on the floor, she accidentally stepped on it and it cracked. Kisuke woke up to the sound of the pen breaking.

"Yorouichi?" he called, his eyes still trying to focus.

"Yeah. Did I wake you? Sorry about that."

Kisuke rubbed his eyes and yawned. He glanced at the clock at the wall. "Oh it's already this late?"

"Why haven't you gone home yet?" she asked. Classes had ended hours ago.

"There's not much to do at home, so I figured I'd just wait for Isshin. Is he still at the training rooms?" Kisuke asked her as she nodded.

"He's been practicing really hard. His training's paying off though, he has improved a lot."

"That's good. So, how come you're still here too? Training?"

"Yeah... And... umm... actually..." she started. Kisuke waited for her to continue. "Err..."

"What is it?" he asked. An amused expression on his face.

"Well... um..." she stuttered. She really couldn't say it, she felt really shy to ask him. Would he even say yes?

"What ever happened to the spunky heiress I used to know? Can't even form sentences now?" he teased. She blushed slightly.

"S-shut it!" she spat at him.

"Now there's the Yorouichi I know! Well? What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I need help with kido." she finally managed to say. It annoyed the hell out of her that she was acting like a shy school girl before. She should act more like herself. This was Kisuke she was talking to anyway.

"Kido? Oh for the upcoming exams? Sure!" he answered so quickly, it surprised her a bit.

"Eh? Are you sure?" she asked him.

"Uh-huh. Well it's not like I'm doing anything after classes... I don't have projects at the moment too. So why not?" I guess she should have expected this of him. Kisuke was the kind of guy who didn't think twice about helping out. Except for when he's feeling really lazy that is.

"Thanks..." she muttered.

"So how 'bout we start now? I'm not doing anything now, are you?" said Kisuke. Yorouichi shook her head. "Great! Then let's head to the training rooms then!" said Kisuke. He seemed excited somehow. Was he really that bored? "Oh by the way, you owe me a new pen!"

* * *

The training rooms that the sixth years use was a wide rectangular room. It simply looked like an archery room, with moving and unmoving target boards scattered all over one side of the room. The outer walls of the training rooms were made of condensed spirit particles. Kido spells are absorbed by these walls when they tend to miss their intended targets.

When Kisuke and Yorouichi entered the training rooms, all eyes turned to them. Their classmates whispering and gossiping behind their backs as they passed them. Kisuke led her to the far most corner of the training rooms, which was currently unoccupied.

"Destruction spells right?" Kisuke asked.

"Yeah... I'm having problems with number 63. The last one I cast exploded on my hand." she said, as she held up her healed hand.

"Well that happens if you're not concentrating enough. Why don't you try doing it again?" said Kisuke. He pointed at a nearby target, as Yorouichi moved forward. She held up a hand and took a deep breath.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Way of Destruction number 63! Thunder Roar Cannon!" She exclaimed. Yorouichi's hand started to glow, and yellow sparks of reiatsu appeared. She aimed at the target in front of her, but the spell had dissipated. Yorouichi cursed silently, as she glanced back at Kisuke.

"What was I doing wrong?"

"You're not really feeling the incantation. It's like you're just reading through the lines, you have to concentrate more."

"You skipped a line on the incantation! Do it again!"

"Too much reiatsu ! Again!"

"Don't concentrate too much on the target, focus on the spell!"

"Not enough reiatsu! Again!"

"You forgot to aim! Again!" She was starting to feel annoyed, after hearing Kisuke telling her over and over and over again that she had to do it again, she was starting to feel really annoyed. She should have known that something like this would happen. Kisuke was such a brutal teacher.

"You were rushing through the incantation! Do it again, Geez!"

"Stop screaming at me! I can hear perfectly well!" She finally shouted at him. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Well I don't think you actually hear me! You still haven't done a decent one and we've been at it for hours!" Kisuke spat.

"Sorry if I'm not as smart as you are! I'm trying my best here!" Yorouichi spat back.

Kisuke was angry now too. "That was your best? I wonder what your worst is like!"

"Maybe I would have been able to do it if you weren't shouting too loud at my face!" she retaliated. They were glaring at each other, and were only a few inches away from each other. Each had a look that could kill.

"Shouting is the only way I can get through that thick skull of yours!" Kisuke exclaimed.

"Oh yeah? This was a terrible idea! Should've known you'd start acting like a bitch! You're such a slave driver!" she screamed at him.

"I wouldn't be like this If you weren't such a terrible student!"

"I'm a terrible student only because you're a terrible teacher! You jerk!"

"Whiner!"

"Bastard!"

"Stupid!"

"Idiot!"

"Pain in the ass!"

"Fat ass!"

"Ass wipe!"

"Snotty bitch!"

"Know-it-all!"

"........"

"........"

"........"

"........"

They were running out of things to say, they stared at each other for a minute they both blinked in surprise, and the two started laughing out loud.

"I can't believe we're actually fighting!" Kisuke said, they were both really laughing hard.

"I know! We weren't even talking to each other just a few weeks ago!"

"This is a good thing though! It means we're really becoming friends again." said Kisuke. Yorouichi smiled at him. If being friends for now was enough for him, then it was enough for her too.

* * *

The last field exam for the 6th years was just around the corner. They were all really struggling with reviews and practice sessions. Needless to say, the sixth years were all very exhausted. Just one more week and everything would finally be decided for them. Yorouichi and Kisuke have been training everyday too, well mostly her, he was only there to help her out. They fought a lot. Kisuke was such a slave driver. But fighting was a good thing. They really were becoming friends again and that was a good sign. They were training today too. Yorouichi collapsed on the ground, panting for breath.

"Did I do it?" she asked him, as she layed sprawled on the ground, physically exhausted from today's kido practice.

"Yeah but it still needs some improvement. We should stop here, I guess."

"I was waiting for you to say that! You slave-driver!" she complained. Kisuke grinned at her.

"Sorry! Sorry! Not a fan of tough love huh?"

"Not at all! I actually think you're trying to kill me!"

"Hey, I'm doing this for you, you know? You'll learn faster this way!" said Kisuke. Yorouichi sighed in agreement. The man was pushing her to her limits, was actually making her learn faster.

"Yeah, yeah...."

"Then we'll call it a day." Kisuke glanced outside, it was already night. "We should go home too, it's getting late." said Kisuke. Just then did they notice that they were the only ones left in the training room.

"Give me a minute." she said, as she stood from the floor and laid on a nearby bench. "Let me just catch my breath here." she muttered.

"Haha! Fine. I'm just going back to the classroom to get my things, okay?" said Kisuke as he left the training room. Yorouichi closed her eyes as she laid on the bench. She could barely move, she was really too tired. She hasn't been getting that much sleep too lately. Even though she came home from school really really tired, she couldn't stay asleep for long. She would always wake up in the middle of the night. She would be sweating bullets, and feel really tired, as though she had been running. She noticed her feet too, were dirty and would have scrapes on it. Was she actually sleep walking? That was weird. This has never happened to her before. Never. What could be causing it? She wondered. Just as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind started to go blank, and she slowly drifted to sleep.

Kisuke got his things from their classroom and made his way back to the training rooms. When he was almost at the door, he noticed Yorouichi was walking out of the training rooms.

"Hey! I thought you were going to wait for me?" Kisuke called out to her. She didn't bother turning to look at him, as she continued walking. Kisuke went towards her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey!" he called out again as he twisted Yorouichi to face him. Her eyes were closed. "Oi! Yorouichi!" he shouted at her, as she shook her out of her reverie. Yorouichi's eyes snapped open.

"K-kisuke? Wait, why am I here in the hallways?" she said, a confused look on her tired face.

"You were sleep walking!" Kisuke said. Yorouichi's mouth dropped in surprise.

"Oh no. Not again!" she sighed.

"What do you mean again?" Kisuke asked. Yorouichi then told him about what she's been experiencing for the past few days, while they were walking on their way home. They were currently walking along the streets of Seireitei, towards the border between the commoners and the nobility, were they usually parted ways.

"Maybe It's because I'm just really tired from the training..." she guessed. What other reason could there be for her to suddenly start sleep walking?

"That doesn't explain things. Maybe..." he trailed off. "Well I guess it is possible..."

"What is...?" she asked him.

"I'm not really sure but... I think your Zanpakutou's soul is starting to awake..." he told her. She blinked in confusion.

"My Zanpakutou? Well I guess it is about time... Did this happen to you too? When you became aware of your Zanpakutou's Soul?"

"No... But I did have really weird dreams though... Anyway I'm not really sure if it is your Zanpakutou." he said. They had arrived at the border and stopped. "In any case, I'll try to look into it. Tell me if it happens again, okay? I'll help you out!" Kisuke said, as he gave her one of his trademark boyish grins. Yorouichi smiled back at him. He really was such a helpful guy.

* * *

Yorouichi woke up with quite a start. Her back was hurting like hell. Why was her bed so darn hard? She sat up from her bed, only to realize that she wasn't actually in her bed at her room, at the Shihouin Mansion, she was far from it actually. What she thought was her bed, was actually a cold hard and rough ground. She gasped in shock. Did she sleep walk again? But where was she? It did not look like she was still at the mansion at all. She looked around her, It was too dark, where she was. But she could tell that this place was sort of like a cave, since she could see a faint light coming out on the other side of this place. She stood up and followed the faint light, hoping it would lead her outside of this cave. She felt relieved when she got to the light, and was out of the cave. The moon was shining brightly across the night sky. The relief she felt didn't last long though. The cave she had come from, was situated in a cliff, a very high cliff at that. She coudn't even see the bottom. Fear took over her. What was this place and how the hell did she end up here? How was she going to go back home? She didn't have a clue as to where she was. She let out all the bravery she could muster at this point. She was determined to find her way home. There was no other way but down, and so she climbed down the rocky cliff. She didn't dare look down, it was too dark to see how high up she really was. She held on the rocks tightly, making her way down slowly, one step at a time. She tried to grab hold of a tree branch, to even her footing, but the branch had snapped, and she fell. She screamed with all her might as she tried to grab onto something. But just as soon as she fell, she felt ground. She was already at the bottom of the cliff. She sighed in relief. She cliff wasn't as high as she thought it was. At the bottom of the cliff was a forest, surrounded by very tall trees. She headed fixed herself and walked north. Hoping to leave this dark forest. After what seemed like hours, she could tell she was almost out of the forest. It was getting a little bit brighter. The sun was about to shine. She pushed through a wave of thick trees and plants and eventually found a clearing. She ran towards it in a hurry. She felt her heart leap in joy, when her eyes focused on the tall white walls of Soul Society. She had finally made it.

She walked around, hoping to find the gate, and she did. Two shinigami's were standing on guard at the gate. She quietly approached the two guards. They didn't seem to notice her presence. She didn't want to have to explain himself to the guards. It was a good thing the gate was slightly opened. She moved as quick as she could, and ran past the guards and squeezed herself through the opening. The two guards felt a strong gust of wind rush past them, not realizing that it was actually a person. When she got inside, she could now actually tell where she was. She was in Ryukongai, the western district. She knew this because this was were Kisuke and Isshin lived. She walked through the streets, faces turned on her as she passed. Of course people would look at her. She was walking around the streets, her night dress full of dirt and sweat, and she wasn't even wearing footwear. Quickly she made her way to Kisuke and Isshin's house. She knocked on their door continouosly.

"What's your problem?! Banging on the door like that!" Isshin shouted at her. His mouth dropped open in surprise when he saw Yorouichi. "Y-yorouichi? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. Yorouichi walked passed Isshin and let herself in and went straight to Kisuke's room. She burst open the door and saw Kisuke, curled up inside his sheets, sleeping. She went to stand next to his bed and shook him as hard as she could.

"W-what? What?" he mumbled, as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Yorouichi? Why are you here? What time is it? Why are you dressed like that? What happened to you?" Kisuke continued his barrage of questions as Yorouichi put her hand over his mouth to silence him.

"It happened again! And this time I woke up in some weird cave!" she exclaimed. She then told Kisuke exactly what happened. Isshin listened in too.

"Talk about a whole new level of sleep walking!" said Isshin. As he offered Yorouichi breakfast, which she gratefully took and devoured within seconds.

"It freaked the living daylights out of me." she said, munching on the last of her food.

"Not this isn't just sleep walking. This really is your zanpakutou awakening."

"I started becoming aware of my zanpakutou's soul too." Isshin told her.

"Really? What did you experience?"

"I was constantly hearing voices in my head calling me, and after a few weeks the voice just began talking to me. I still don't know his name though."

"To each his own, I guess."

"Kisuke, what should I do? How can I make this stop? I don't want to wake up somewhere far away again!" she asked him.

"Well... why don't we go back to that cave? Maybe that's where you've been going to while you were sleep walking the other day too. I wanna check that place out." said Kisuke. His eyes gleaming with joy and excitement.

* * *

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Kisuke asked her as he walked behind her, as they both threaded through the forest outisde of western Ryukongai. He was using his zanpakutou to cut through tree roots and thick branches.

"I just kept going north, so if we just keep going south, I'm sure we'll find that stupid cave soon. Maybe." she said. She was fully dressed now, armed with her katana, after she went back home for a quick shower and to come up with a lame excuse for not being in her bed.

"But we've been walking for almost thirty minutes now and we still haven't come across that cliff you told me about."

"Stop whining! This is good exercise for you too. You've been getting a bit out of shape with all that lazing around." she teased. Kisuke stuck his tongue at her, like a little kid.

He followed after her, slouching and pouting."Who's out of shape? I've been training you for several days now and that's considered exercise too! Spiritual exercise! Let me tell you that... Ow! Why'd you suddenly stop?" Kisuke bumped into Yorouichi as the latter pointed something in front of them.

"Is that it?" He asked. They came finally found the bottom of the cliff.

"Yeah. I'm positive this is the place. We have to go up." said Yorouichi.

"Up? This tall cliff? But that's too high up! I don't wanna!" He whined. Yorouichi slapped his arm.

"You promised you were going to help me!"

"I did but... I do need compensation for my services!"

Kisuke was such a merchant. She should have expected this of him, naturally. "Fine. How much do you want?" she asked. Kisuke grinned mischievously.

"I don't need your money, Shihouin-san. I need your body!"

"What?!" she exclaimed

"Yeah since Sayuri left, I haven't been able to do it for awhile. And we did it before too anyway, so might as well be you!" said Kisuke. Yorouichi couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew he was a pervert, but not to this point! Is this why he wanted to be friends? Friends with benefits?

"You fucking pervert! No way! You're sick!" she said, as she slapped him again.

Kisuke winced in pain. "Ow! W-what was that for?"

"For being such an ass!"

"Why? I experimented on you before anyway, so what's the big deal?"

"That was before and... Wait, what?"

"I was asking you to be a guinea pig for my upcoming projects! What do you think I meant?" he smirked at her.

"Oh... Well that's fine then." she blushed in embarrassment. Kisuke snickered in amusement. Yorouichi turned away from him and started climbing the cliff. "Let's go! And don't you dare look up my ass!"

Kisuke started laughing. "Yeah.. Hehe.." He followed after her too, climbing the high cliff and avoiding too look up at all costs. He didn't want to die a tragic death. It wasn't that high up as he thought it was going to be. After a few minutes they reached the top. They went straight inside the cave.

"This is the cave, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"I can't see a damn thing. Shot of Red fire!" Kisuke fired a Kido spell and kept it glowing above his hand as they proceeded further inside. They then came across a wide empty space in the deepest part of the cave.

"This is it! This is where I woke up!" said Yorouichi. Kisuke aimed his kido spell high up and released it. He let the ball of kido light up the whole area. Inside the cave was a huge space, it looked like a canyon of sorts, only rocks and small cliffs could be seen.

"How did you do that? Light up the whole place with such a simple spell?" Yorouichi asked.

"I was jut going to widen the range of my spell, but it somehow lit up the entire room too. This place is strange..."

"I feel different inside this place..."

"Way of Destruction number 54! Abolishing flames!" Kisuke fired a purple blast of spiritual energy and aimed at a nearby rock, the rock shattered into pieces. He stared at the shattered pieces for a few secods, and suddenly, the rocks were beginning to form again.

"What the...?"

"I knew it. This place is composed of high spirit particles, just like Seireitei. Your zanpakutou feels drawn to the high level of reiatsu that emits from this place." he theorized.

"But why? You can only see rocks and boulders in this place." said Yorouichi

"Unsheath your katana." Kisuke told her.

"Why?"

"Just do it." he urged. Yorouichi unsheathed her katana. It was glowing, the blade was engulfed in a white light. "Wh-what?" Yorouichi's eyes widened as she stared in horror in front of her.

"Yorouichi! What's wrong?" Kisuke asked

"T-th-there's a weird guy standing in front of me!"

"A guy? But I don't see anything!"

"_Only you can see me... Yorouichi..."_ said the man. He was a pale, tall and handsome man, with long black hair, and was dressed in extravagant robes of white, with a red piece of silk holding his long hair in a ponytail. A serene and calm expression on the man's face.

"W-who are you?" she asked.

"_My name is Shinatsuhiko.... I have been waiting for you all these years..."_

"Waiting for me? I don't understand..."

"_I have been waiting for someone worthy to wield me... decendant of Fujin..."_

"Fujin? Decendant? Me...?"

"_Call me... when you are in need of my strength..."_ Shinatsuki's image started to fade.

"Hey! Wait!" she called, the image had then disappeared. She dropped her katana on the ground and noticed that the size of the blade and the hilt have changed. "W-what..."

"You saw your zanpakutou?" Kisuke. Yorouichi nodded, momentarily unable to speak as she picked up her zanpakutou and sheathed it. "And did you just say Fujin?" Kisuke asked.

"Yeah... He said I was a decendant of Fujin..." she mumbled.

"Fujin... Hmm... That Fujin?!" he exclaimed. Yorouichi raised an eyebrow in question.

"You know him?"

"In Soul Society history, there is only one Fujin, and that is Nakasako Fujin..."

"Who is he?"

"Based on the research documents I read in the 12th's archives... Nakasako Fujin was a shinigami captain, 7000 years ago, and it was said that he was the wielder of the most powerful wind Zanpakutou, Shinatsuhiko." Kisuke explained.

"What happened to him?"

"He fell in love with the princess from the Royal Family and they had four children. These four children were the pioneers of the four highest noble families in Seireitei. The documents said that when he found out that the princess had affairs, and that only one of their four children was actually his, he sank into depression and suddenly disappeared. The documents said that he must've killed himself."

"Then this must be the place... where he killed himself?"

"That is a possibility. Maybe that's why your soul was drawn to this place. It's also possible that your family's ancestor is Fujin's only son."

"Wow... this all so..."

"Surreal?" Kisuke added. Yorouichi nodded.

"Yeah... It's just so sudden. My zanpakutou.... Shinatsuhiko..." she said, as she glanced at her changed katana.

* * *

a/n: hey! sorry it took so long, my room was renovated and it was quite a mess, it took days to finish! I didn't edit this one too, so there might be a few errors here and there. So how was it? Too rushed? Oh and about Yorouichi's Zanpakutou, Shinatsuhiko is a japanese mythological god of wind, i figured since she was the goddess of shunpo, might as well give her a wind zanpakutou. And Fujin, is also a japanese wind god.

Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! don't forget to review this one too! Belated happy valentines day! :D


	23. Chapter 23

**A/n: I want to try something new... so I decided to write in different pov's from now on. This chapter is in Yoruichi's pov.**

**Chapter 23**

This was finally it, the moment I have been training really hard for. The final field exams for the graduating class of the Spiritual Arts Academy. Years of training as a student of the academy has finally led to this moment. I'm more excited than nervous, I guess I feel really prepared. What with the intense training I go through with Kisuke almost everyday. I feel like I could take on anything.

I sat on a bench waiting, as I look around the courtyard, almost empty except for sixth years like myself. Some of my classmates had come up to me and wished me luck, I did the same too, though it didn't really feel like they really wished me luck, they simply did it out of courtesy, since I was of higher social standing. While some of them simply passed by me, either too afraid to talk to me, or they simply did not care that I was of noble blood. Not that it really bothered me, I've gotten used to the divided attention that I got from my other classmates. All I cared about was that among this class, I did have friends, friends who I know do not see me as a noble, but just sees me as me, Yorouichi.

Speaking of my friends, they were not here yet. But its not like they were late, I just came too early. But they should have at least went to the academy early, what with this being the last field exam for them. I bet that only Retsu is here. She's probably in the library, doing last minute studying. Until a few hours ago I was also doing last minute studying, practicing my kido in that newly discovered underground training area. Kisuke suggested we use the place, since it was very conducive to training, because of the high spirit particles residing in that place. Since then, he'd been developing our so-called training grounds. He'd been adding more structures to it. How he was able to do it, I have no idea. He gave this really long explanation for it, but I stopped him midway, I couldn't really get what he was saying. But to sum it up, that place was really useful. It felt special to me too, it was a place that only he and I know of.

To pass the time I started reciting incantations in my mind, going over them quite a few times. I was snapped back to reality when I noticed a pale hand waving from across the courtyard.

"You're awfully early today." I told him when he reached me. He motioned for me to move so he could sit too. I moved just enough for him to seat himself on the bench.

"Isshin woke me up. Said he had to pass by the library first for something. Dunno what though." he said. His hair, was in its usual style, unruly and sticking up in different places. But years of spending time with him, I knew the reason why he styled it that way. He said that it was so he could appear mysterious and cunning. Cunning true, but mysterious? Not. I don't know what goes through that genius brain of his.

"Retsu's in the library..." I cited. He smirked at my words.

"Oohh... So that's why. Isn't it too early for that, though?" It was no secret to us that Isshin and Retsu did more than just studying in the library.

"Don't say that again, I'm starting to imagine them doing 'that' and in the library of all places!" I told him.

"Oh shoot I'm also starting to imagine them!" he laughed. I laughed with him too. Erasing mental images of Retsu and Isshin in my mind. Kuukaku, with droopy eyes and creased uniform came up to us and yawned loudly.

"What's with the disheveled look? Is it in style today?" I teased her. She stuck out her tongue at me like a little child as she rubbed her eyes.

"I kept thinking about the exams, I couldn't fall asleep." she yawned.

"Wow! You were thinking, Kuukaku?" Kisuke teased her. Kuukaku smacked him on the head.

"I'm not in the mood for your teasing Urahara! And you too, Shihouin!"

"Chill Kuukaku, we're just playing with you!" said Kisuke. Kuukaku glared at us, as she squeezed herself in the bench, in between me and Kisuke.

"Speaking of playing around, I don't know if they're serious or not but, I got a letter from the 11th Division." she said. My mouth dropped open in surprise, so did Kisuke's. When she said 'letter' she was referring to an invitation to join letter, which divisions of the Gotei 13 give out to the graduating class. Each of the Divisions gets the profile of every graduating student and they get to pick candidates to join their Division.

"11th wants you to join them?!" we both asked.

Kuukaku nodded. "That brother of mine, Kaien, said he had a few connections with the 11th. He said I should accept."

"11th squad... I think it suits you Kuukaku! Isn't that division famous for powerful and barbaric zanjutsu masters? The job description fits you!" Kisuke said, and that earned him another smack to the head from Kuukaku. Seriously, he should know by now what playful insults could do to him.

"So are you going to accept it?" I asked her. She sighed heavily.

"I guess. Kaien insists I take the position. Stupid brother..." she muttered. Kuukaku always says things about Kaien, but she actually really respects and admires her brother. "How about you guys, have you gotten letters yet?" she asked.

"You know I won't be getting any letters Kuukaku." I told her. As the heiress to the Shihouin Clan, It has already been decided which squad I was going to belong to. I didn't have any other choice even if I wanted to.

"Ah, right. How 'bout you Kisuke?" Kuukaku asked him.

"I haven't gotten any yet." he answered. That surprised me and Kuukaku.

"What? But you're the number one student in the class. I was pretty sure the divisions would fight it out just to get you to join their division." said Kuukaku, and I agreed with her. I was thinking the same thing.

"Oh geez, stop teasing me, I'm not that smart." he grinned.

"No but seriously Kisuke, I kinda thought that you would have gotten letters already, especially from the 12th. Captain Hikifune likes you doesn't she?" I asked him. He had been friends with the female captain since he was a freshman, he had been helping their division a lot too.

"Yeah... The Captain did tell me to come by the 12th after graduation though. Said she wanted to talk to me about something, maybe it's about hiring me?"

"Maybe, but won't it be too late by then?"

"Yeah... Well anyway, enough about that, I'm not that worried." he said. When he said he was not worried, what he actually meant was, 'I'm so worried I won't be able to sleep for days thinking about it.' He's wanted to join the 12th squad since first year.

Isshin and Retsu had arrived and came up to us. Isshin appeared to have a bruised cheek, and a palm shape could be seen imprinted on his cheek.

"Hey! Is that Retsu's trademark slaps I see on your face Isshin? Is it painful?" said Kisuke in a teasing tone.

"Would you like me to give you one too, Kisuke-kun?" Retsu smiled, that threatening, and frightening smile of hers that sent chills to your spine.

"N-no.." Kisuke mumbled. No one dared to ask what happened, too afraid of Retsu. But if I had to guess, Isshin was probably bugging the hell out of Retsu,while she was reading or something. That was usually the case with these too.

The sixth years were now all present in the courtyard. The sixth year adviser, Sasakibe Choujiro then arrived and ordered us to fall in line according to squad assignments. I was with Kisuke again this time, and two other girls and that jack ass Mashiba Ryou. The two girls fell in line in front first, Mashiba behind them. Kisuke and I both looked at each other as we struggled. I pushed him to fall in line behind Mashiba, but he was a tad bit stronger as he managed to pull away and appear behind me, forcing me to fall in line behind our most hated classmate. Sasakibe ordered everyone to fall in line and keep quiet, I glared at Kisuke and fell in line, I had no other choice. Mashiba noticed me behind him, he smiled at me and I smiled back, when he looked in front again I made a mock vomitting gesture behind him. Kisuke chuckled out loud, earning him a glare from Sasakibe.

"Now that everyone's settled, I have a few words. First, as you all know, this is the last field exam for you sixth years, This will make or break your future as a Shinigami. I'm assuming some of you had already gotten invitation letters, but for those who still have not gotten any, do not worry, there will be representatives from each Division who will be watching today's exams and will be looking out for potential recruits among you. The results will be posted an hour after the exams, and the list of graduating students will be posted in three days. Within those three days, you should be getting invitation letters, and you must reply to whatever Division you wish to join. Your Division assignments will also be posted together with the list of graduates. Since this is the last exam, I want to congratulate everyone for making it this far. I have all seen you grow during the last six years, and as a teacher that brings me joy." Sasakibe-sensei, who was always strict and stern with us , is getting emotional. This was the first time we've seen him like this. In a way, we are all grateful to him for his guidance. "Good luck on the field exams, and I'll all see you in the Gotei 13." said Sasakibe-sensei. He was retiring from being a teacher at the academy. He was offered a post by the Captain-Commander as the Vice-Captain of the 1st Division. We all bowed to our sensei one last time, as we proceeded to the senkaimon into the Human world, where our last field exam awaits us.

* * *

The area our squad was assigned with was a residential one, a small village at the foot of a mountain. The village was a poor one, with its small, tattered houses, and children running around doing labor without footwear. It reminded me of the farmost district in Ryukongai, that I had the chance to visit years ago. It was a really depressing sight. Seeing children suffering from hunger. We waited at the outskirts of town, a cliff where we had a good view of the village. We were to wait for dawn before we could move and hunt the hollow. We took turns patrolling, looking out for any signs of hollow movement. But after three hours, still no sign of the hollow. It was almost night and it was my turn to patrol. Kisuke offered to accompany me, saying he didn't want to be stuck with Mashiba and those two girls he found annoying. He found them annoying probably because those two girls have been pestering him with questions, at first about kido, but then they started asking personal questions and that really ticked him off. You'd think, after years in the academy, he would be used to the attention he got from the female population of the academy. But that just wasn't the case with this guy.

We stopped just a few yards from the village's entrance. Their were four souls, Plusses, there, with their chains almost completely gone. Kisuke and I both went towards them. They noticed us approaching, the man stood in front of his family, his wife and two kids, with a frightened expression on his face.

"W-what do you want? Are you after us too?" the man said, his voice sounded weak.

"No. We're here to help you." I told him.

"Are you shinigami?" asked the wife, as she loosened her grip on her two small children.

"We will be in a few days, we're still students." said Kisuke.

"Students... You should leave this place... The shinigami that was here before was no match for him, the monster will surely kill you easily. He's after us." the wife said.

"Don't worry, we're here to protect you. That monster you saw, it's called a hollow. It feeds on human souls who have not yet passed on from this life. Kisuke, their chains are almost gone, we should report to the sensei and have a shinigami perform a burial on them." I said. Kisuke nodded.

"Are you going to take us to heaven?" asked the little girl. Kisuke knelt down and patted the young girl on the head.

"It's not really heaven but its a place where you and your family can live on. Its called Soul Society and I'm sure you'll make lots of friends there, what with you being so cute and all." said Kisuke. The little girl smiled at him and giggled in delight. I couldn't help but smile too.

"Will you play with me and my sister when we get to that place?" the little girl asked him. Kisuke smiled hugely at the girl, as he ruffled her hair.

"Of course!"

"Promise?"

"Uh-huh! Let's pinky swear on it!" said Kisuke, the little girl giggled once more as she extended her small pinky and linked it with Kisuke's.

We started walking back to the other squad members, the family of plusses with us. Kisuke became instant friends with the two little girls, he carried both with him, and the little girls were having so much fun with him. This was a side of him that I have never seen before. I never knew he liked kids, and he's really good with dealing with them too. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him playing with the two girls.

I turned to the father and mother, who both seemed to have calmed down and were both at ease, at seeing their children smiling again. "So how did it happen?" I asked.

"We were going to visit my parents in the next village, my wife and I saved up a lot of money for this trip. But on the way we were ambushed by bandits. They took all our money and killed us mercilessly." said the father. That angered me a bit. This family seemed like a really nice one, and they didn't deserve to be killed like that. It made me want to hunt down the bandits and kill them too. But I couldn't possibly do that, it was against the law to kill a human without orders from the gotei. But I was going to make sure that this family would at least safely make it to Soul Society. They most definitely deserved it.

"The kids were really excited too, it was supposed to be the first time they're meeting with their grandparents." the mother added. I didn't know what I could tell them to emphatize.

"There's this really good candy store in eastern Ryukongai! I'll take you girls there when we get to Soul Society!" said Kisuke. The two girls smiled widely. "Of course, we'll bring your mother and father with us too!"

"Yay!"

"We've been on the run ever since we died, it's been a while since I've seen the girls smile. We really appreciate your help." the mother said, as she took my hand. "Thank you..." she muttered.

"No problem. It's our duty to protect people like you, and I really do want to help you. Plus, my friend seems to have taken a liking to your girls." I said. Kisuke heard that, as he turned to me and smiled.

We were almost at the cliff, where the rest of our squad members were. I suddenly felt a huge weight pulling me to the ground. Such a high spiritual pressure. Kisuke felt it too, and he moved closer to the family.

"It's here." Kisuke said, as he pulled out his Zanpakutou. I did the same too and waited for the hollow to appear. We heard a loud howling sound behind us. It was the hollow. It was a big, spider-like hollow. And it wasn't just a hollow, their were a lot of them appearing before us.

"It' s a Hexapodus." Kisuke said, and I remembered one particular lesson we had in class about this particular hollow. This hollow was a particularly rare breed, almost extinct, and yet, there were about twenty of them in front of us.

"Extinct my ass, there's a like a whole tribe of them in front of us!" I said.

"The academy taught us wrong then. Oh well, better get rid of these guys, that family doesn't have that much time left." He said and I nodded in agreement. We both dashed towards the hollows. Kisuke managed to defeat one in a single blow, I did too, the hollows were fairly weak. But their were quite a number of them. After awhile, I find myself panting for breath. I was able to kill a few but this seemed endless. I saw Kisuke kill a hollow with a kido spell as he turned to me.

"They're multiplying." He shouted. "This is not going to stop unless we kill the main hollow."

"Yeah but they all look the same!" I shouted at him, as I slashed at a hollow from behind me.

"I'm sure there's one that's slightly different than the others." He looked around the hollows, while dodging attacks here and there. "There! That one's hide is of a lighter color!" he said, as he rushed towards the hollow. I turned my head to the other side as I heard screaming, the family of Plusses was being attacked. I hurriedly dashed towards them, in a desperate effort to save them. The hollow was about to let out a ball of spiritual energy towards them, I made it in time.

"Bindind Spell number 39! Arc Shield!" I summoned a shield of condensed reiatsu to block the hollows incoming attack. Kisuke, fighting in a distance saw what I was doing and his eyes widened.

"No! Yorouichi get out of there!" he shouted from across the field. I didn't have much time to react, as the spell hit my shield, and easily went through it, hitting me painfully in the process as I was knocked back a few paces back, earning me quite a few bruises. I could barely stand up, what with the distance of that spell. I was pretty sure I had my shield up and I did it right. But how did that hollow's attack easily pass through it? The shield was supposed to be able to block most spiritual energy.

"I don't know how but, these hollows seems to have had upgrades!" Kisuke yelled. I struggled to be on my feet, my body was aching all over. The hollows were nearing the family of plusses. Kisuke moved in front of them to protect them. He fired continous kido spells at the hollows, they didn't have any effect. Kisuke lunged for the hollows, his zanpakutou held high, he defeated one, two, and three, I couldn't keep count, their really were too many of them. I noticed Kisuke, was running out of breath, they just keep on coming.

"Yorouichi! Take the family and go! Tell the other squad members and ask for back-up!"

"Easier said than done! I can barely stand up here!" I shouted back at him, as I used my zanpakutou to keep myself up.

"Do it! They're running out of time!" He shouted back. Using the last of my strength, I dashed towards the frightened plusses, as I tell them to stick together and follow behind me, we started running away from the hollows. We weren't running for that long when A hollow in appeared in front of us and stopped us from proceeding. I took out my zanpakutou again and prepared for the hollows attack. But I was too weak, my strength had left me, and I was sent flying by a swipe of its tentacles and was knocked back again that was the last thing I remembered as I blanked out accompanied by screams of terror.

* * *

I woke up panting for breath, and sweating bullets. I had a dream... No, it was surely a nightmare. I could still hear cries of pain in my head, people screaming in fear. I sat up in bed, closed my eyes to covered both my ears with my hands to try and block out the sound, but it was in vain. That was not a nightmare, that certainly did happen. That family, died once again, and I couldn't help but blame myself for what happened. They were such nice people, they deserved happiness, but because I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't protect them. I could still hear it in my mind, their screams. I felt tears running down my face, I couldn't stop them from falling. I felt cold hands, brushing away my tears as I opened my eyes. Kisuke was in front of me, he had some injuries and his face expressionless as he wiped away my tears. I cried freely now, curling up in the bed I was in. Kisuke simply sat in the chair next to the bed, as he held my hand, just being there as I cried myself to sleep. Before falling asleep, it was only then that I realized, his hand was shaking, and tears were forming in his eyes. He was blaming himself too.

* * *

Because I was in the infirmary, I wasn't able to look at the results of the field exam when it was posted two days ago. The five of us were together, they picked me up from the infirmary right after I was released. Although Kisuke was injured too, they didn't need to confine him, I had worst injuries than him. Kisuke had told us at the infirmary just before I was released about what happened after I blacked out. Reinforcements from the 2nd squad had arrived, but wasn't able to make it in time to save the family we desperately tried to protect. Kisuke passed out soon afterwards from his injuries. The others didn't press for more information from Kisuke. I didn't want to think about it anymore.

We looked at the results, we all managed to pass and get good grades. I didn't think I deserved to pass, I failed to protect them, the souls that a Shinigami was sworn to protect. I glanced at Kisuke, he had the same expression on his face too.

We started walking towards the cafeteria, to get lunch. It was Kuukaku who finally broke the silence.

"Whew! I made it! I had doubts about the results but its a good thing I managed somehow!" said Kuukaku. We seated ourselves in our usual spot. Kisuke offering to buy for us as he fell in line to get our food.

"Congratulations Kuu. So did you accept the offer from the 11th squad?" I asked.

"Yeah, I sent a letter yesterday. Isshin and Retsu did too!"

"Really?"

"Yes. I replied to the 4th squad." said Retsu.

"4th squad... But didn't you get an offer from the 3rd too?" I asked her. Retsu looked at Isshin, and then at me again.

"Yes, but someone here declined the offer from the 3rd, so what's the point of accepting?" said Retsu.

"What? Is that why you guys were fighting yesterday?" said Kuukaku. I remembered the scene from yesterday too, Retsu's palm imprinted on Isshin's cheek.

"I thought you both decided to accept the offer from the 3rd squad?" Isshin and Retsu, being a couple, naturally wanted to be in the same division, and with a stroke of luck, they both managed to get an invitation from the same division.

"Hey I said I was sorry!" said Isshin, a pleading look on his face. Retsu crossed her arms and ignored him.

"What happened, Isshin?"

"I got the letters the other day, one from the 10th and one from the 3rd. I wrote back an acceptance letter to the 3rd, but I sent it to the 10th by accident!" Isshin explained, and at that I had to laugh. It was just like Isshin to make a mistake like that.

"Why don't you go to the 10th and explain that to them?" said Kuukaku.

"He can't. They've already accepted him and sent word to the academy. He has no choice." said Retsu, her tone annoyed, and clearly disappointed. I felt sad for the both of them, they'd have less time to spend with each other once they all start working for their respective divisions.

"Well I'm sure you'll both find time to see each other." I told them, just to appease them both. Of course I believed the exact opposite.

Kisuke came back, a tray full of food in his hands, he placed the tray on the table as he seated next to Isshin. Isshin and Kuukaku quickly grabbed for the tray, fighting over a piece of bread. Kisuke passed food to me, a huge bowl of ramen. Which I passed back to him, I didn't have much of an appetite, I felt too distracted to eat. He sighed, as he passed the bowl to Isshin instead. Thinking of Isshin and Retsu being apart after graduation, made me think of me and Kisuke too. We just became friends again, I didn't want to part of him so soon. What would it do to our relationship? Would we slowly drift to being strangers again? Be all awkward aorund each other? I didn't want that. But surely he'd be accepted into another division, the chance of him being accepted into the 2nd division was slim, my Father didn't like him. It hurt to think I'd be away from him again.

We both sat in silence, Me, staring into space, Kisuke eating his lunch quietly. Kuukaku and Isshin still argued, while Retsu ignored them completely, as she ate in silence too. Kuukaku and Isshin's argument was interrupted, when Sasakibe-sensei came up to our table.

"Urahara, here." said sensei, as he handed a piece of rolled up paper. Kisuke took it, with a confused look on his face as sensei motioned for him to open it and read it. Kisuke read the letter, his eyes moving right and left as he read the contents of the letter, his eyes widened in surprise, as he looked up from the letter, to sensei.

"Is this for real?" he asked. Sensei nodded.

"Congratulations. I have already sent an acceptance letter on your behalf. The deadline is today, remember? And since this is the only letter of invitation you got, you have no other choice but to join." Sasakibe told him. Kisuke looked at the letter again, a look of disbelief in his face.

"Okay then..." he muttered.

"Good. I wish you luck. And to the rest of you too." said Sensei as he excused himself and left.

"Kisuke, who's it from?" asked Isshin.

"I don't believe this..." he said. Kuukaku lunged forward and grabbed the letter from Kisuke's hands. Kisuke's mouth was wide open in shock.

"No way..." said Kuukaku, after she finished reading the letter.

"What? What is it?" asked Retsu.

"Don't keep us hanging here!" said Isshin, I got really curious now. What was that letter about?

"Kisuke... he... second..."

"Kuu, complete sentences please!" I told her. But Kuukaku still struggled with coherency. I stood up and grabbed the letter form her hands. My eyes widened in shock too. How could this possible be...?

"Yorouichi?" Retsu called.

"Kisuke... Has been accepted into the 2nd Division..."

* * *

a/n: Oh wow! so sorry it took a while. Went on a quick out of town trip, you see! Anways, thank you for reviewing the last one! Review this one too please, tell me what you think of changing pov's. Or should I just stick to the 3rd person pov? Dunno what to do! Anyways, I'm not making promises about the next chapter, but it won't take a year, that I promise you! Love you guys! :D


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Shihouin Yoruichi, dressed in her new shihakusho, with the insignia of the tulip emblazoned on the inside, stood in front of the gates of the 2nd Division's Headquarters. She taps her feet impatiently, her arms crossed, and with an irritated look on her face. Urahara Kisuke was running late, as per usual. They made a deal to meet up before the inauguration of the new members of the 2nd division because they were both too nervous to enter the 2nd division on their own. Yoruichi never would've thought that he would end up in the same division as her. She was happy about it, but couldn't help but feel that her father might have something to do with it. She confronted her father about it, just last night. Her father, simply said that Kisuke was one of the best out of the graduates of the academy and having him in the 2nd division was a show of the division's power and popularity. She didn't buy it of course, she knew her father. She told him that if he was planning on doing something to Kisuke, that she wouldn't hesitate to stop him.

After waiting for almost thirty minutes, Kisuke still hadn't arrived. The inauguration was just about to start. Yoruichi sighed, might as well wait for him. She'll be late too, but at least she won't be alone. Finally she sees him, running towards her, dressed in his new uniform too. Kisuke stops in front of her, panting and catching his breath.

"Sorry I'm late..." he muttered under his breath.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it." she said. Kisuke looked at her from bottom to top.

"You look good." he said. Yoruichi grinned.

"Right back at you. Did you fix your hair?" asked Yoruichi. Kisuke had his usually tousled hair combed neatly, not a single hair out of place. His bangs neatly hanging behind his ears.

"Thought I'd look decent for once. You changed your hair too." he stated. Yoruichi's long hair was gone, instead it now reached above her shoulders.

"Had it cut last night. New division, new hairstyle." she said.

"So how late are we?" Kisuke asked, as they both started to run towards the assembly hall, where the inauguration was to take place.

"Around five minutes." They got to the main hall, where they could hear a seated officer giving out a speech. They slipped inside unnoticed, or so they thought.

"You're late." said a voice from behind them. They both turned around and saw a tall and slender woman, with long brown hair.

"We're not that late. The ceremony just started." said Yoruichi. Unfazed by this tall woman in front of her.

"But late nonetheless. Just because you're a Shihouin, doesn't mean you can just barge in whenever you want to." said the woman, who looked at Yoruichi with disgust. Yoruichi was about to retort, when Kisuke grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with his hand.

"We're really sorry about being late. Could you please just let it slip this time? We promise we won't do it again." Kisuke said.

"I guess I could. This better be the first and the last time. You." she turned to Kisuke. "You are Urahara Kisuke?"

"Yes I am." he answered.

"And here I was expecting to see a snot-nosed kid with thick glasses. But you're actually good-looking." said the woman as she grinned at him. Yoruichi wanted to wipe that smug grin off her face, but Kisuke was too damn strong. She couldn't break free from him.

"Thank you." said Kisuke.

"Go on then, fall in line with the other newbies." the woman said. Kisuke bowed to the woman as he dragged Yoruichi off with him as they fell in line at the back.

"What did you do that for?!" Yoruichi whispered to him.

Kisuke leaned toward her ear and spoke. "That was the 3rd seat, Saotome Junko."

"Oh." No wonder he sounded so respectful toward her. "Thanks for stopping me, I would have punched her if you hadn't stopped me.

"No problem." Kisuke smiled at him as he focused his attention in front, listening to the vice-captain as he gave a speech.

"But if she flirts with you again, I swear I'm gonna kick her ass." Yoruichi mumbled.

"Hmm? You were saying something?" he asked.

"N-no. Nothing."

* * *

New members of the 2nd Division were required to undergo intensive training. This training would determine whether they would be placed in the 2nd division, or in the Onmitsukido, otherwise know as the Secret Mobile Corps. Kisuke Urahara wasn't that eager to train. Why would he be when it was just a week ago that he graduated. It didn't matter to him where they'd put him, as long as he belonged to a squad and would be paid, he could care less.

Kisuke leaned on the wall of the 2nd division's training grounds, a bored look on his face. Yoruichi hadn't arrived yet. He stood silent, not paying attention to the other newbies who have gathered and were talking amongst themselves. He dreaded the rest of the day, he had a feeling that it wouldn't be a great at all. He noticed a small brown haired boy approaching him, he looked familiar to him.

"Urahara-kun! I didn't know you got into the 2nd squad too!" said the boy. They boy was a feet smaller than him, and wore thick glasses. He then realized that this boy was in his class.

"Uh yeah. You're... Genji-kun, right?"

"It's Ginji actually." The boy frowned. "Well that's just like you to forget names! And I didn't really stand out in class." the boy said shyly.

"Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay. I was really nervous about being here, but now that a classmate of mine is in the same squad, I feel relieved. We're the only ones here who are fresh graduates from the academy." said Ginji. Kisuke thought that it was just him and Yoruichi to be accepted into the 2nd division. The rest of the recruits were recruited from other divisions. Kisuke then noticed Yoruichi, who just arrived. He waved at her as she went to him.

"Shihouin Yoruichi? I guess I should have known you'd be here too." said Ginji.

Yoruichi glanced at the boy, then to Kisuke. "Who's this?" she asked.

"I really don't stand out at all..." Ginji sighed.

"He was a classmate of ours, Ginji... what was your last name again?"

"It's Saotome. Saotome Ginji." he said.

"Oh! You're that geeky boy in class who always sits in front and who doesn't have any friends!" said Yoruichi. Ginji frowned again.

"Yoruichi! You don't have to be so blunt!" Kisuke scolded her. "Sorry, she's always like this." said Kisuke.

"It's okay, I'm used to it." said Ginji.

"Where were you?" Kisuke asked Yoruichi.

"I got a little lost. What with all the turns and the secret doors and whatnot."she said.

"But you're a Shihouin, you're supposed to know your way around here." Ginji said.

"Yeah well, I've only been here once or twice before." said only place that she was allowed to go to, as a pampered heiress, was the academy , and that was usually with two or more bodyguards accompanying her. Except of course for Ryukongai, when she stayed with Kisuke.

"Everyone, gather around!" called the vice-captain. The newbies formed lines in front of the vice-captain and they all stood silent, as they waited for the vice-captain to speak.

"Today is the first day of training. It's not going to be easy, but I want you all to give it your best. The training will span for six months, and during that time, you will be assigned to the unit that you are best suited in. The 2nd Division takes pride in having really disciplined members who persevere in whatever they want to accomplish. Failure is not an option for this division, I want you all to remember that. Good Luck in your training!" said the vice-captain. The new recruits all bowed to the vice-captain. The new recruits, they were 20 in all. All of them would spar with the 3rd seat, to test their skills. The new recruits were all talented, each of them showing great amount of skill. The 3rd seat was a really good fighter, not breaking any sweat as she sparred with one recruit after another. Even their classmate, Ginji showed talent too. But he was clearly afraid of the 3rd seat, who turned out to be her sister. Kisuke and Yoruichi watched in earnest as the 3rd seat beat the new recruits to a bloody pulp until they were the only ones left. The 3rd seat turned to face them both.

"Which one of you wants to go first?" the 3rd seat, Saotome Junko asked. Kisuke and Yoruichi looked at each other. They both held up their fist, assuming a fighting stance, and they both bellowed.

"Jan-ken-pon!" Kisuke stared wide mouthed as he looked as his hand, he used rock, to which he lost to Yoruichi's paper. Meaning he was to fight first. Kisuke stood up and shot a glare to Yoruichi, as he moved towards the 3rd seat. The vice-captain, who had been watching the sparring matches, stood up from his seat, and moved next to the 3rd seat, seemingly using shunpo to do so.

"Wait, 3rd seat Saotome, I'll take it from here." said the vice-captain as he flipped back his long wavy blond hair. It was only then that Kisuke realized how tall the vice-captain really was. He was at least, a quarter of a foot taller than him. He wore a disinterested expression on his face as he stared down at Kisuke. The 3rd seat excused herself as she shunpoed to the sidelines.

Kisuke pulled out his zanpakutou, and the vice-captain did the same. Wasting no time, Kisuke lunged towards the vice-captain, as he aimed a slash at him. Only to realize a few seconds later that the vice-captain had flash stepped behind him, and was about to attack. He parried the attack with his zanpakutou easily. The vice-captain sure was fast, he slashed at him with such speed. He could keep up with him, but it was without difficulty. But this wasn't a test of speed, this was a test of power. Kisuke backed to a corner as he stretched out his left hand, aiming a spell.

"Binding Spell number 75, Quintet of Iron Pillars!" he shouted. He summoned five tall iron pillars which are connected to each other by chains as the vice-captain was pinned to the ground, surrounded by the pillars. His spell was successful. He grinned mischievously. He didn;t think his spell would be so effective against the vice-captain. Just as soon as the spell had hit the vice-captain, the pillars shattered to pieces, he had lost sight of the vice-captain, but he could feel him moving around, using shunpo. The Vice-captain appeared behind him again, leaving himself completely open as he felt the sharp blade of the vice-captain's zanpakutou slash his shoulder. He didn't fall after taking a hit, instead he jumped a few paces back, at least a few meters away from the vice-captain. He felt blood dripping from his open wound, into the ground.

"Match over." the vice-captain said. Kisuke didn't hear him, or rather, he chose not to hear him, as he dashed towards the vice-captain. The vice-captain readied himself for his attack, ready to parry. When he was only a few paces from him, Kisuke disappeared out of sight. He used shunpo to get behind the vice-captain as he sliced at his back, the vice-captain used shunpo to avoid it, but the tip of Kisuke's blade managed to scratch him.

The vice-captain smiled as he started laughing. "Enough. That was very good, Urahara Kisuke." Rojuro Otoribashi held out his hand to him, as Kisuke shook it.

* * *

A few months into training, Kisuke was drained, both physically and mentally. The training was really intense. They trained 12 hours a day with an hour break,and with only a day of rest for every week. They practised the four basic forms of combat, zanjutsu, hakuda, hoho, and kido. Kisuke doesn't even have time to work on his inventions anymore. He really hated it, and Yoruichi did too. Who would want to train, when you were picked on everyday by the other new recruits, and even the regulars of the 2nd division. He had not experienced being bullied before, since it was the other way around when he was still a student. Kisuke had fights with the other members almost everyday, and was called out to the vice-captain's office at least three times in a week. Although the vice-captain, Otoribashi, liked him, he still had to be punished for it. Salary deduction and cleaning duties were his usual punishments. Even seated officers were picking on him, ordering them around to do trivial tasks that were not really part of a shinigami's duties.

"They're jealous of you." Ginji told them as the three of them headed towards the 2nd division's barracks to crash for the night after a long day's training.

"Jealous? Why would they be jealous of me?" Kisuke asked. He was picked on again earlier. They were such childish pranks, it really ticked him off. Like stealing his uniform whenever he took a shower, or returning it all tattered and dirty, tripping him on purpose, hitting him 'accidentally' with a kido spell while training, dumping his lunch tray on him, and the likes. Of course he could avoid these pranks easily. When it first happened he avoided it easily, when someone had tried to trip him, but Yoruichi who was walking behind him tripped instead, when it happened a second time, when someone had aimed a shot of red fire at him, he dodged it, only to hit Yoruichi who was in front of him at the time. And when it happened a third time, when someone tried to flip his lunch tray, he avoided it, but by doing so he ended up hitting Yoruichi with his tray of food. He figured it would be wise to just take in all the pranks played on him, that was less painful compared to being smacked on the head by Yoruichi.

"For a lot of reasons! The vice-captain likes you, you're really talented, and a genius! And my sister flirts with you!" said Ginji. His sister was very popular, the object of desire among the men of the division.

"Can't you like, talk to your sister about that? I can't disrespect her by avoiding her, she's my superior!" said Kisuke.

"You're actually the first person I've met who doesn't drool all over my sister, I guess that's why she likes you." said Ginji. On more than one occasion, the 3rd seat would always corner him, ask him all kinds of stuff and whatnot. It annoyed the hell out of Yoruichi, since she was always there when it happened.

"I don't like your sister, I mean no offense to you Ginji. But is that even legal?! She's wearing her Shihakusho so provocatively that it's distracting a lot of the division members!" Yoruichi exclaimed. Kisuke smirked at her.

"You're just jealous because she has bigger bo..." Kisuke's sentence was cut short by a quick smack on his head by Yoruichi.

"My sister has always been like that. She uses her charms to get what she wants, and right now, what she wants the most is you. She always bugs me about you, you know." said Ginji.

"That's why you have to tell her that I'm not interested! Come on, Ginji please! I don't know what she'd do to me If I reject her flat out." Kisuke pleaded.

"Well... maybe I could tell her you're gay or something. She hates gay men." said Ginji.

"Ooooh! I like that idea! You should definitely tell her that!" said Yoruichi.

"You're really that jealous, huh?" Kisuke told her. Yoruichi shrugged and ignored him.

"Whatever. Anyway, go tell your sister that Kisuke's gay, okay?"Kisuke tried to protest, but Yoruichi covered his mouth with her hand.

"I'll try to make up a story. Anyway, do you mind if I ask you guys something?"

Kisuke looked puzzled, he sounded serious all of a sudden. Well he was always serious in the first place.

"What is it?" Yoruichi asked.

"I don't mean to ask something so private but I'm just really curious. Are you two together?" Ginji asked. They were both taken by surprise at his question.

"Wait, you mean you don't know?" Kisuke asked him.

"Know what?" said Ginji. It was a really well known fact in the academy that they were together before. But then this was Ginji they were talking to, he was pretty much lost on his own little world when they were still students.

"Nothing..."

"So?" he waited for a response for his question from them both. Yoruichi didn't know where to start. Kisuke on the otherhand, had answered quickly.

"No! Hell no! We're just friends!" said Kisuke.

"Oh I see. You seemed really close so I thought you were dating or something."

"Yeah we're just friends. Ne, Yoruichi?"

She nodded. "Just friends."

* * *

Today was Sunday, a day off. Kisuke's favorite day. Today was extra special too, aside for it being his rest day, he was meeting up with the others. It had been a while since they all got together., because he and Yoruichi usually had to decline since they were either too tired, or they had extra training sessions. They have not seen the others since they graduated and entered different divisions a couple of months ago. He quickly got dressed and left his room in the barracks to meet up with Yoruichi who was waiting at the front gates of the division. When he got there, he saw her, leaning on the wall, her arms crossed.

"You're late again." she said.

Kisuke scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I got too excited, I didn't get that much sleep." They started walking towards Western Ryukongai, where they were going to meet up in their favorite Ramen shop. They walked in silence, or at least Yoruichi did. Kisuke had babbled on and on and Yoruichi was just nodding or shaking her head in response.

"Hey, are you okay?' You're awfully quiet." He asked her. Yoruichi shook her head. "See, you're not talking! Something wrong with your voice?" he asked. She shook her head again. "Then what is it?"

"Nothing." she said, as she walked ahead of him. Kisuke caught up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you mad at me or something?" Yoruichi looked at him for a second, as she jerked away from his hold, and continued to walk. "Come on, Yoruichi say something! Is it that kind of day? A bad case of PMS?" Yoruichi ignored him, as she stopped in front of a small shop. They had arrived. Yoruichi slid the door open, and was greeted by Unohana Retsu.

"Yoruichi! It's been so long! I missed you!" Retsu and Yoruichi shared a small hug, as she turned to the rest of the guys.

"Wow everyone's here! Even you, Kuu!" Yoruichi said. Kisuke was confused, Yoruichi seemed like she was back to herself. But just a few minutes ago she was all bitchy.

"Hey, what do you mean by that!" Kuukaku protested. Yoruichi smiled at the Shiba heiress as she briefly hugged her.

"Kisuke! Bro! I missed you!!!" Isshin jumped into Kisuke's arms. Kisuke dodged him, and Isshin fell face flat on the floor.

"I missed you too bro!" said Kisuke as he leaned down next to Isshin on the floor and patted his bestfriend's back.

Their former upperclassmen, and good friends, Ukitake Jushiro and Kyouraku Shunsui were present too.

"Nice to see the two of you! It's been ages!" Ukitake said. Kisuke and Yoruichi seated themselves and joined the rest in their usual table, greeting the owner as they ordered food and drinks.

"Yeah sorry about that... Training's a pain in the ass..." said Yoruichi.

"I bet it is. The two of you rarely show up!" Ukitake chided.

"No words are enough to express the hardship that is our training..." Kisuke said.

Isshin patted his best friend on the back. "Touche, my friend. You look like you've lost weight too Kisuke. And you too Yoruichi." Isshin said.

"Hellish training..." Yoruichi said.

"It's not just the training..." Kisuke added. He then told them about the mistreatment that he was getting from the other members.

"What? You're being bullied?" Isshin asked in disbelief.

"It's Karma, for all the bullying you've done when you were still in the academy." said Kyouraku.

"Didn't think being bullied could be so... annoying..."

"Now you know how I felt when you picked on me!" Kyouraku told him. Kisuke sighed.

"I guess I really am paying for my crimes as a bully..."

"Yoruichi, why don't you tell your father about this? He is the captain after all. I'm sure you could talk to him about this." Retsu said. Yoruichi thought about telling him too, he felt sorry for Kisuke.

"I don't need his help, I can deal with bullies on my own..." Kisuke stated.

"Damn straight Kisuke! Don't let bullies get the best of you!" said Kuukaku

"In any case, there's only a few more weeks of training left, hopefully you'll be a seated officer." said Yoruichi.

"I guess. See this?" Kisuke rolled up his sleeve, showing them his bruised elbow. "I was practicing my hoho when these guys 'accidentally' scattered balls of candy onto the floor and I slipped on them!"

"And you just let them get away with it?' Isshin asked.

"Of course not! I used kido on the candy balls and made one huge ball out of it and aimed it at them. They dodged it though, so it kinda wrecked a part of the wall." Kisuke told them. They all laughed at his story.

"Now that's the Kisuke that I know!"

"I think you should just let them play pranks on you, and not fight back..." said Ukitake. Kisuke looked at him, with an are-you-serious expression on his face.

"Why not? Bullies need to be punished!" said Kuukaku, and Isshin nodded in agreement.

"Well it might affect the results of the training, you might not make it to a seated position. You're evaluated not only based on your skills, but also on your attitude..." said Ukitake.

"Yeah listen to the Vice-captain, he knows what he's talking about!" said Kyouraku.

"I guess I could endure it, its only a few more weeks.... wait what? Did you just say Vice-captain?!"

"Uh-huh! Jushiro just got promoted! Vice-Captain of the 13th Squad!" Kyouraku beamed.

"That's great! Congratulations!" Retsu told Jushiro. Isshin and Kuukaku cheered for the white-haired man, as he blushed in embarrassment.

"Thanks... Actually it's just not me... Shunsui got promoted too!" he said. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Isshin and Kuukaku's mouths dropped open in utter shock. Ukitake being promoted was like stating the obvious, even though his health was poor, he was a very talented and dedicated shinigami, but Kyouraku on the otherhand...

"Must be nice, to be part of the nobility. You get promoted easily..."

"Shut up! I'm doing my job too, you know?"

"Ehh really?" said Kisuke. Kyouraku jumped on his seat and tried to grab Kisuke, who was able to get away from him, they ran around the small restaurant, like little kids.

"What was he promoted to?" Retsu asked Jushiro. Just then the doors of the restaurant opened, revealing a young three people wearing Shinigami academy uniforms.

"Did I hear about a promotion?" asked Ise Nanao as she and the two others with her entered the restaurant.

"Nanao! Rangiku, and Byakuya-bo too!" greeted Yoruichi, as she stood from her seat to hug the younger girls, and mess with Byakuya's neatly tied hair. Which earned her a death glare from the Kuchiki heir.

"So who's going to be promoted?" Matsumoto asked again.

"It's the two senpai's here..." Kisuke pointed out.

"Wow Really? Congratulations, Ukitake-senpai, and you too Kyouraku-senpai." said Nanao. Kyouraku blushed crimson, from head to toe. Ukitake snickered at his bestfriend's blushing face.

"T-thanks Nanao-chan..." muttered Kyouraku.

"What seat?" the bespectacled girl asked.

"T-third..." Kyouraku stuttered.

"That's great. Do you best, Kyouraku-senpai." Nanao told him. Kisuke and Isshin teased the older shinigami as the others started snickering too.

With the rest of their friends present, the party was now in full swing, food and drinks kept pouring. They rented out the small shop for today, they knew the owner well. They talked, and ate, and drank alcohol and played card games, it was a very enjoyable party for them, especially for Kisuke and Yoruichi, who really missed the company of their other friends.

It was almost midnight when the drinking died down, Isshin and Kuukaku were both so drunk, Kyouraku and Ukitake had to carry them back to their squads. Matsumoto had drink a lot, but amazingly was not drunk, he and Nanao had helped lead Byakuya back to his mansion, he was so wasted, Kisuke and Yoruichi both challenged him to a drinking match, and Byakuya being Byakuya, didn't back down from any kind of match. Kisuke and Yoruichi walked along the dark and quiet streets of Ryukongai. Kisuke to his room at the 2nd division's barracks, and Yoruichi to the Shihouin Mansion. Yoruichi waved to Kisuke as they parted at the junction. The two of them hadn't talked that much during the party, Yoruichi was still obviously pissed at him. He still didn't know why though. Yoruichi was very hard to figure out sometimes.

"Oi! Yoruichi!" He called. Yoruichi turned back to him. "Can we talk for a bit?" he asked her. Yoruichi walked towards him again as she shrugged, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"What?"

"Well... Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad..."

"Yes you are..."

"I'm not."

"Are too!"

"Not."

"Quit it! I've known you for years! I can tell if you're really mad or not, or if its just PMS!"

"Well if you know me that well, then you should know what I'm angry about!"

"Is it about that 'just friends' thing I said the other day?" Kisuke asked. Yoruichi didn't answer, as she looked away from him. Kisuke moved towards her, as he held both of her cheeks, turning her head to face him.

"Hey look at me." He said. "Look... I told Ginji we were just friends to avoid you being attacked by bullies too! I did it for you, okay?" He told her. His hands still holding her face.

"But I would have been fine even if they knew about us! Shihouin heiress, remember?"

"Yeah but..."

"But technically, we are just friends." she stated, as a matter of fact. Kisuke dropped one hand, as he pinched her cheek with the other.

"Idiot! You know that you're not just a friend to me!"

Yoruichi pinched the hand that had pinched her cheek. "That hurt! Bastard!"

"Hey ow! I'll get you for that!"

"That was just for revenge!"

"But yours hurt much more!"

"Well sorry!" she said. They both kept quiet, just standing in front of the other, clutching their cheeks.

"I can take the bullying just fine... But I don't think I could take it if they bullied you too, if they were to know that we used to go out..." Kisuke said in such a soft voice, that Yoruichi almost didn't hear him.

* * *

A few days after training, the results have been announced, all the new recruits were given their new unit assignments. Letters were handed out to them. Kisuke and Yoruichi both got their appointment letters. Kisuke read his quickly. After he finished reading, he exchanged letters with Yoruichi, reading about their respective unit assignments. After reading they both gaped at each other, they were still going to be in the same unit, but they couldn't really believe it. The Executive Militia, assasination and punishment unit of the Secret Mobile Corps.

* * *

a/n: did i take too long? hope not! forgive me for any grammatical errors in this one, didn't really edit it. Oh and I decided to stick to third person for now... I'm more comfortable with it anyway, but i might use first person once in a while. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter, and this one too (pwetty pwease? *insert chappy drawing here*)

Did i mention my new found love for Aizen? He's such a bad ass. I wouldn't mind if all the characters of bleach died (except Kisuke and Yoru) and Aizen became the main character!


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